Pushing Through
by SmashingIllusions
Summary: When Emma went through the portal, she did not go through with Snow but with Regina. This tells of their desperation to return to their son and their hesitance to work alongside each other to get there. (Spoilers from both Season 1 and 2 are to be expected) This is ultimately a Swan Queen Tale. Please enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Pushing Through**

**Chapter One: Through the Hat.**

The bleak sunlight hurt her eyes when she fluttered them open that she winced, turning her head only to groan at the pain the movement made. She felt someone pull at her wrist and struggled to focus her eyes as they adjusted to the light. Her head felt as if it was imploding, her muscles ached, her chest tight as she took a deep breath. She felt her arms being pulled and she groaned at the movement, ignoring the muffled voices she could hear as she tried to focus her vision again. She grimaced as she swallowed her nausea before finally being able to open her eyes. She looked around, seeing overgrown branches, rocks and trees overtaking ruins of once was. She turned her head to see two faces watching her with suspicion and curiosity, one face was with fear, the other with ire, the latter pointing a sword.

"What the fu.." she winces as the sword prods just under her chin and immediately quietens down.

"Miss Swan… just do as they ask…"

Emma turns her head to see Regina standing, her wrists bound together in turn to the back of a horse. Despite her torn jacket, her messy dark hair, and the dried blood streaming from a healing cut on her forehead, the brunette still maintained her regal stance. Emma stood up, or rather was pulled up by the sword-wielding young woman who then tied her to another horse. Emma looked over at Regina and could see that despite the older woman's best efforts she was as afraid as her.

"Regina… what the hell happened?"

"Miss Swan… please shut up!"

"I thought it was her majesty," the young warrior spoke against. "I was unsure from the strange costume, but it is her…"

The horse was yanked to a halt by the other woman who had yet to speak. She jumped down from the saddle and pushed the brunette back, watching her as she fell to the ground before pulling out a dagger to her throat.

"Aurora! No!" The warrior shouted. "We will let Leviathan deal with her…"

"But she condemned everyone we loved… she destroyed everything we loved…"

"I see you finally awoke then…"

"My true love is dead because of you," Aurora pushed the dagger into the skin, watching as blood began to seep from the fresh cut.

"No, my dear… I had nothing to do with you or your love," Regina gasped out, struggling to catch a breath and refusing to cry out in pain. "That was Maleficent who Miss Swan over there just slayed."

The two women looked over at Emma who just watched the conversation in confusion.

"And your love… I don't even know who that is…"

"Prince Philip!"

Regina smirked slightly, feeling the dagger relax against her throat, "I don't know him…"

"A wraith," the warrior spoke. "Came through the same portal as you and this swan…"

Regina took a breath, her eyes flashing with fear before Emma spoke, "Is the wraith gone?"

"Yes," the dark eyes of the warrior burned into Regina's. "Do you remember me, your Majesty?"

Regina frowned.

"No, of course not… for I am one of many who you caused suffer to. You will remember me now… Mulan is my name."

Regina was pulled back to her feet by the armoured young woman, and roughly pushed forward. Mulan moved to the front of the horses, and waited for Aurora to mount one of them before she led the others, dragging the strange women behind them.

They reached the camp within a couple of hours, all four women fatigued by their journey, all four women suffering from a broken heart from their loss, a prince and a son.

"Regina," Emma called out. The brunette looked over her, fear and arrogance fighting for dominance in her dark eyes. "Regina, we need to get back to Henry…"

"I know," The brunette hissed.

"Can't you, you know, magic us back?"

"Miss Swan, something stopped my curse from touching this piece of land, and until I know what that something is I will not magic us anywhere…"

"I can't believe you did this to us…" Emma grumbled.

"I never asked for you to push me out of the way…"

"No, our son did…" Emma snapped back. "For what good it did!"

Regina was about to speak when she felt pain as a stone hit her in the back. She turned to see people crowding around behind her, their memories intact of the damage she had done to them. Another stone hit her in the head, opening up the healing wound again, causing blood to seep into her eyes. She bit her lip as another stone hit her back and another at her chest. She could hear Emma shouting at them to stop.

"Stop! You people are as crazy as she is but what you're doing to her is no better than what she did to you… do you people not do trials or something?"

Regina slumped to the ground as another rock hits her in the head, she fell forward, her wrists still tied, no longer conscious.

"Stop!"

Emma turned to the deep voice, its owner a handsome man in a suit of armour, skin smooth and dark, eyes devoid of emotion.

"Put them in the pit… we will deal with them later once we find out whether there is more of a threat."

Emma fell into the pit, Regina almost landing on top of her, her body showing no signs of consciousness. Emma laid the older woman down gently, using the sleeve of her jacket to wipe away the blood from the cuts to the face.

"Come on Regina… wake up. I hate that I need you…"

"She should be fine my dear…"

Emma jumped at the voice and turned to see an older woman step out of the shadows. She watched as the older woman kneeled over Regina, stroking her cheek gently before turning back to the blonde.

"Will she be alright?"

The older woman looked back at the sleeping woman and nodded, smiling softly, "Yes, she will be…"

She raised her hand, an ethereal blue glow spring from it. She let her hand hover over Regina's limp form and Emma could do nothing but watch as colour returned to the smooth olive skin and shallow breaths stabilised. Regina was now just sleeping.

"This is so insane… yesterday was a good day…"

The older woman chuckled at the blonde's mumbles, "I am Cora and you, my dear are not from this land…"

"I am not… I am from Storybrooke and our son Henry is there…"

"Our?" Cora asked with a curious eyebrow, studying the brunette.

"Regina and I… we share a son… it's a long story… you have a magic…"

"Miss Swan!" Regina murmured.

"You can help us get back, can't you?"

"Miss Swan! Please shut up!" Regina snapped, standing up and stepping between the two women. "This woman cannot be trusted…"

"Why not?"

Cora laughed and Regina smirked, stepping closer to her, "Hello mother, it's been a long time…"

"Mother?" Emma asked, knowing neither woman was paying her any attention.

"I thought you were dead," Regina asked, surprise lacing her tone.

"At the hands, or rather hand of your Hook?"

Regina smirked before remembering a time long past, "You weren't dead when…"

Cora smiled almost viciously, "When you told me that you loved me… no I was very much alive."

"Okay, it's great that you're having some sadistic reunion with your mother Regina, but Henry is waiting for us…"

Regina turned to the blonde and saw fear in green eyes before turning back to her mother. Cora raised a brow as Regina raised her hands, allowing magic seep from them.

"You choose her over me," Cora whispered, knowing what her daughter was preparing to do.

"No, I choose my son over you," Regina answered, her words barely heard.

Cora vanished before Regina could touch her. Regina fell forward, losing her balance as she struggled to calm the magic in her veins. She took in a deep breath, a sob threatening to fall from her lips.

"Regina?" Emma whispered, afraid of this woman. She reached forward to touch the older woman on the back only for dark eyes to turn on her.

"Miss Swan, we need to get back to Storybrooke before she does…"

"Why?"

"Because she will hurt Henry in the same way she hurts everything I love…"

"Can't you just use your…"

"Magic?" Regina asked with a smirk before taking Emma's hand with one and waving her other, transporting them easily out of their prison.

Emma stood back and took in her surroundings as her stomach settled from the sudden transportation. She looked over to Regina, who was struggling to compose herself.

"Regina, where are we?"

"Welcome to my home… and I guess your home too… The Enchanted Forest."

Emma looked around and saw nothing but trees for miles, tall trees of heights she could not see, the depths of woodland she could not see an end to, nothing to be heard but leaves moving in the breeze. But there was no colour, no green leaves, blue skies or sounds of birdsongs; this wasn't the enchanted forest of fairy tales. These were foliage of black hues, grey clouds carrying threats of storms and songs of silence. This was darkness. She fell to her knees and let herself be frightened before looking at the brunette who looked almost as scared as she was.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time doesn't belong to me. I merely borrowed its characters for fun and have used some of its lines for inspiration. **

**Chapter Two: You Need Me!**

"So what is the plan?" Emma asked as she pulled herself, hissing as she cut her hand on a broken branch.

Regina simply turned, inspecting the forest, no path in sight. She didn't want to admit to the younger woman that she had no plan, had no idea what was to come, or that she had no idea where they actually were. She was briefly reminded of The Woodsman who she had condemned to wander the woods for eternity looking for the children she had already banished there. Did they feel frightened, alone and without hope? Did they feel as she did in this very moment?

"Regina!" Emma shouted, and watched the brunette spin to face her.

"Be quiet," the former queen hissed.

Emma stormed towards the other woman, her feet snapping branches, their cracks echoing through the silence. She was within inches of the smaller woman who could only glare before jumping at the growls above them.

Emma's eyes widened, "What was that?"

"Ogres! Ssh…" Regina whispered as she pressed her back against the tall tree.

Emma laughed, "As in fee-fi-fo-fum…"

"That's giants, you fool!" Regina snapped, and the growl overhead became louder. Emma jumped back at the sound, falling onto breakable twigs, each one snapping louder than the first. Regina's dark eyes shut as heavy footprints near them.

"Oh shit," Emma shouted as she laid eyes on the approaching monster, firing her gun aimlessly at its hideous head, crawling backwards. She yelped when the beast grabbed her gun, crushing it as if it were a mere insect. Emma's back hit against a tree and the ogre hovered above her, she glanced behind him seeing Regina stand with determination. The older woman, waved her arm, pulling twigs loose from the ground and with a swift flick of the wrists sent them flying like arrows into the ogre's head. He crashed to the ground, causing the blonde to yelp and jump to her feet.

"They react to noise," Regina said without emotion. "So it would be wise Miss. Swan if you didn't make any."

"I can't believe this is all happening," Emma grumbled as she ran her fingers through her hair, ignoring the dirt that graced her entire form. "So what do we do now?"

Regina pursed her lips, her brow pulling together in a frown. She glowered at the blonde, "What makes you think we do anything now?"

Emma couldn't help but be stunned at the coldness from the brunette. She moved closer to the brunette, "Because WE have a son and if something were happen to one of us he would hate the other…"

"He already hates me."

She had spoken so softly that Emma almost didn't hear the older woman. She looked around her, seeing the ogre's dead form amongst the towering trees, branches protruding from him, green blood pouring from his wounds.

"You saved me from that… you know you need me," Emma hissed. "And as much as I hate to admit it, I need you."

Regina studied the blonde for a moment before sighing, brushing the wrinkles from her clothes ignoring the tears and dirt that graced the expensive material.

"We need to find another portal," Regina said.

Emma exhaled and nodded, "And where do we find one of those?"

"Home," Regina stated clearly, holding her hand out for the younger woman to take. Emma studies her suspiciously and the brunette shakes her head. "Or we can walk, but that could take weeks…"

Emma took Regina's hand, preparing herself to be transported, her green eyes meeting the dark brown eyes. She felt the wind pick up around them, whipping leaves against her body as they turned within the clouds of purple dust, but despite the fear within her stomach she could not take her eyes from the older woman.

The landing was more graceful than the last one. Both women still standing, still looking into each other's eyes, still holding hands; Regina was the first to move, clearing her throat as she stepped away releasing the blonde from her hold. Emma turned around, seeing that night was falling rapidly through broken windows. She looked around and saw furniture covered in blankets of dust, upheaved from their rightful positions, some in smithereens, some cracked, some whole. The walls adorned with unlit torches and shredded tapestries, the floors of wood and stone hidden beneath old blood and grime.

"Let me guess, your majesty," Emma spits out. "Your palace?"

Regina laughs bitterly before clicking her fingers, lighting all the torches along the walls, illuminating the ruins, warming its grounds and allowing a mind to imagine what it once was. Emma turned and saw these were not the ruins of a place of evil but of love and hope. She looked at Regina expectantly and Regina laughed without feeling.

"It was once mine, then it was your mother's and then yours… if only briefly."

"So why are we here?"

"Because the day I cast the curse was the day you were born," Regina explained, her voice soft. "Your parents were told that you were to be the saviour so they placed you in a…"

"Wardrobe," Emma finished. "I know. Henry told me and I ended up on the side of the road in Maine… I should be in an asylum."

Regina chuckled at the blonde's statement, "I imagine, all of this is a bit too much…"

"Too much?" Emma snapped. "I woke up this morning, prepared to leave Storybrooke. Ready to leave my son behind, leave him with you… only for you to poison him and for true love kisses and fairytales and curses all to be real. I fought a fuckin' dragon! Life was normal this morning… I should've taken him away last night…"

"Taken him?" the brunette asked, her voice dangerously low, her eyes almost black.

Emma looked at her, her own green eyes daring, "Henry begged me to bring him back, to save everyone from the curse… to save everyone from you!"

The two women stood straight before Regina broke the silence, "And then asks you to save me."

Emma nodded.

Regina cleared her throat, before turning to climb the stairs, "We need to find the wardrobe."

Emma pulled one of the torches from the walls, using it to light their pathway. She gasped when they reached the room, seeing a knocked over crib, toys of many types scattered across the floor, a broken rocking chair smashed across the wall, and the remains of a wardrobe rooted in the centre of what was once a nursery.

"This is where I slept?"

Regina shook her head, "You never had the chance. Your parents placed you within the wardrobe minutes after you were born. They knew I was almost here and the curse had been cast… when I had arrived you were gone."

Emma nodded, "Would you have killed me?"

Regina did not answer for a moment before shaking her head, "I wouldn't. You would have been consumed by the curse like everyone else… only Snow would not have known you as her daughter."

"Bitch!" The sound of the slap echoed through the walls of the castle. Regina gingerly touched her cheek where Emma had struck her, tasting blood on the inside of her cheek. Emma turned to the wardrobe, touching it softly.

"How do we make it work?"

Regina frowned as she approached the wood, touching it with her fingertips, her brow knitted in confusion, "That makes no sense…"

"What? It doesn't work?"

Regina shook her head, "It's magic is quite potent… strong enough to carry us both which makes me wonder why…"

"If someone had told me that my daughter would be working with the daughter of Snow White, the saviour… well I would have ripped their heart out," Cora's cackle made both women jump. "Regina, my daughter, are you honestly helping this woman?"

Regina stood tall, approaching her mother, "Mother, you have no control over me anymore… you can't break me and make me be slave to your wishes… I have something I treasure…"

"Ah yes, Henry," Cora stated. "You really had to name him after your father, didn't you? Is he also snivelling wimp of a man? I've been waiting to find a way to your new world and thanks to you my dear, I have found a way."

Regina screamed as she tried to hit her mother only to be pushed back and tied to the walls by tentacles of stone. She was frightened and Emma saw it, real upon her face. Regina whimpered as the tentacles tightened against her ribs.

"Don't think I won't get to your son," Cora promised. "He can only be an improvement on his mother… but then you're not his mother, are you?"

"Mother please," Regina begged, her voice just above a whimper.

"Because you can't have children… just another one of the many disappointments you have bestowed upon me."

"Hey!" Emma shouted, waving her torch with fierceness. "You will not be getting to my son."

"Oh really, and how do _you_ propose to stop me?"

"Like this," Emma declared, tossing her torch upon the wardrobe, watching as it became engulfed in flames.

"No!" Regina screamed.

Cora laughed, turning to her daughter. She waved her arms, and smiled as her daughter was dropped from her prison. "Seems like you will have to find another way darling."

Cora turned to Emma and smiled widely before disappearing into nothing. Emma ran to the brunette's side, seeing tears stream down her stained cheeks.

Regina shook her head, turning her glare upon the blonde, "You just set fire to our only way home…"

Emma shrugged, "I couldn't let her get to Henry… she is stronger than me and you."

"She is not stronger than me," Regina declared, standing up, her tears falling without her permission. "I defeated her once… I'll do it again."

Emma nodded, "Good, we will defeat her and we will find a way home and we will protect Henry from her…"

Regina smirked, her eyebrow arced, "Your optimism is obviously inherited."

Emma shrugged, "I wouldn't know about that."

"We should leave here… we need to find an old friend."

"Who?" Emma asked.

"You know him as Captain Hook, I believe." Regina stated with a raised eyebrow.

Emma snorted before looking at the brunette, "Are you serious?"

Regina merely nodded and held out her hand. Emma looked down at it before turning back to the nursery. She felt her chin quiver as tears sprang to her eyes before turning back to the witch, "You took this from me…"

Regina nodded.

"Don't you even feel the tiniest bit of remorse for it…"

The older woman sighed, "We should go..."

Emma glared at the brunette, her body itching to strangle her. She took a breath before taking the offered hand, gripping it maybe a tiny bit too hard, enjoying the pain the other woman surely felt. Green eyes met brown eyes, and the blonde squeezed the hand harder again, letting her nails dig into the smooth skin. Regina whimpered slightly, closing her eyes and allowed them to be engulfed by the purple cloud. Emma, on the other hand, kept her eyes open, gripping harder, digging deeper, ignoring her own pain. Regina's eyes shot open and she shouted above the whipping winds that encircled them.

"The curse gave us Henry!"

Emma fell backwards, barely managing to keep her balance as she looked around the open meadows where they had landed. She looked at Regina who appeared unaffected by what had happened.

"We need to rest," she stated.

"We need to get home," Emma argued.

Regina turned to the younger woman, "Miss Swan, I know you have this urge to be a hero and to fight all the time. But I have been a part of this world for longer than you have existed and I know its ways. You on the other hand Sheriff Swan do not. You can either do things my way or you can leave."

Emma almost stamped her foot at knowing the older woman, "Where are we sleeping?"

Regina pointed to a cottage hidden by darkness, "There."

Emma pushed past the smaller woman towards the cottage, "This does not mean I trust you…"

"Of course not dear," Regina smirked condescendingly before flicking her wrists, lighting the candles within the small cottage.

_A/N: Thank you for the interest in this story so far. I hope you stick with it and that I can provide a story worthy of kind reviews_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I had written both chapter 3 and 4 as one chapter but decided due to length and content that I would break them apart. I realize this story is slow in the making but I want to be realistic in the pacing of their relationship so I hope it keeps your interest. Thank you for the favorites, follows and reviews. **

**Chapter Three: The Villain**

Emma looked around the cottage, it was deceptively bigger on the inside, boasting large rooms which is enormous compared to her shared loft with Mary Margaret. Its kitchen boasting an open fire place that Regina lit with an easy click of her fingers and a large oak table flanked by two benches; its living room showing off comfortable chairs and another fireplace with walls blanketed with bookcases and sharing its space with the bedroom which held one large bed, its bedding made of soft goose feathers; its bathroom small, and lacking the plumbing that Emma was used to. The cottage in short was cosy.

Regina ran her finger along the dust and mumbled to herself. She closed her eyes and wished it be clean and with a simple gust of wind, it was just that.

"I bet you missed that trick in Storybrooke," Emma stated as she sat at the table.

Regina chuckled and nodded, "But I admit electricity made a good substitute for magic."

Emma's stomach grumbled and Regina looked at her amused, "Hungry, Miss Swan?"

Emma blushed slightly, "Am guessing you don't have any food stored here."

"Another useful invention from Storybrooke," Regina stated. "Processed food. Just a moment…"

Regina disappeared for exactly a minute, enough time for Emma to believe that she had been abandoned; enough time for her to get angry with the former queen; enough time for her to feel fear.

"Regina?" Emma called into the silence and blinked when the older woman reappeared holding a plate of food in her hands. She placed it upon the table and couldn't help but smile at Emma's curious and slightly disgusted face.

"What is that?" The blonde asked.

"Chimera… part lion, part goat, part serpent."

Regina sat opposite of the blonde and watched Emma nod before glancing up at her, "Kind of like Turducken?"

Regina could only raise an eyebrow as she watched Emma tear into the food, pulling pieces of meat of and onto her plate before doing the same thing.

Emma swallowed her first bite before shrugging, "Tastes like chicken."

Regina shook her head before raising the bone of meat to her own lips taking a bite. The two ate in silence, not wishing to talk about what had happened and what will happen. Regina finished eating first. She stood up and looked down at herself before glancing at the watching blonde.

"I am going to clean myself up… you may want to do the same."

Emma only nodded and watched the brunette leave for the bathroom. She could hear a water pump being pushed into action, and the sound of the liquid hitting tin. She stood up, stretching her back before stripping herself off her red jacket stained with ogres' blood and forests' grime. She dropped the jacket onto the bench before lifting her foot to remove a boot and then worked on the second. Her socks had originally been white but now were a dull grey. She felt filthy all of a sudden. She left her boots next to the table and padded into the living room. She looked around, seeing nothing personal only books and antique souvenirs. She turned to watch the flames dance in the fireplace before seeing something shine in its reflection. She turned and saw a dagger adorn the wall. She took it and lifted it from its hooks, before pulling it out of its sheath. The blade was slightly curved, inscribed with a language she could not understand. The hilt was of soft leather and felt comfortable in her hand, as if it belonged there. She touched the tip of the blade with her finger, gasping when she saw it had cut her.

"Sharp," she stated to no one but herself. She returned it to its sheath before sliding it into her belt.

"I see that you're making yourself at home, Miss Swan."

Emma jumped at the voice and turned to see Regina, dressed in only a white shirt, designed for a man with ruffles at its collar. It reached her knees, bare of any clothing. Her hair was still damp from the water and her face clear of make-up making her appear younger. Emma inhaled as the woman sat upon the armchair, tucking her feet beneath her and looking up at the blonde.

"The water pump is self-explanatory, even for you…"

Emma exhaled quickly and went to the bathroom only to be stopped by a magic tug of her belt. She turned to see the smaller woman holding her newly acquired weapon. Emma watched the brunette carefully as she studied the blade. Regina looked up at the blonde and held no expression as she spoke, "Can I trust you to let me sleep without using this?"

"Can I trust you to do the same?"

Regina smiled slightly, so slightly that Emma almost missed it, and waved the knife back to Emma's belt, "I guess we'll find out."

After spending twenty minutes trying to figure out how to work the water pump and the hot coals beneath the tub, Emma was finally able to clean herself of the filth of a long, horrendous day. She rose from the tub, grabbing a towel that had been left on a small stool. She dried quickly before dressing in another man's shirt that had been left also. It was black in colour, and reached to her thighs and buttoned to her chest. The material was not the softest, but it was still comfortable. She crept out of the bathroom into the bedroom to see that the cottage was no longer lit by candles but glowed dimly in the flames from the fire places.

She glanced at the bed and saw Regina was already beneath the covers, curled into a small ball, dark eyes glistening in the fire. Emma glanced at the armchairs before exhaling loudly and walking to the other side of the bed. She slid under the covers, careful not to touch the older woman. She pulled the covers to below her chin before glancing at the back of the brunette's head. She chuckled slightly.

"What is it that you find so amusing Miss Swan?" Regina asked without turning.

"If Henry saw us now…" Emma whispered.

Regina didn't answer and continued to watch the flickers of the flames dancing in the grate. She felt Emma roll away from her and listened to the unsteady breaths that came from the blonde.

"Miss Swan, what is it now?" Regina sighed, exasperation evident in her voice.

"I left the tub full… I couldn't figure out how to empty it…"

"That's fine."

Emma rolled again and sighed loudly. Regina's tone bit as she spoke, "What now?"

"How do I know your mother won't come while I sleep?"

"I put a ward on this cottage… she doesn't even know it exists."

"Oh, okay," Emma answered allowing them to fall into silence for a few more moments. "What is this cottage?"

Regina closed her eyes before answering, "It belongs to a mutual friend of ours… or belonged."

Emma frowned before whispering, "Graham?"

The brunette did nothing but nod against her pillow.

"Regina, did you kill him?"

The question was so quietly asked that Regina wasn't sure it was a voice in her head or actually asked by the blonde.

"Miss Swan, we need sleep… my magic I cannot keep using. It leaves a trace for my mother to follow. Tell me, can you ride a horse?"

Emma shook her head and Regina rolled her eyes, "Then tomorrow is going to be equally long."

"How will you find Hook?"

Regina turned slightly, seeing Emma's profile in her periphery vision, "I left my mark on him, or rather his hook. It should be easy to place…"

"You made Captain Hook Captain Hook?" the blonde squealed in disbelief.

Regina rolled her eyes before rolling onto her back, turning to the younger woman, "No, I did not amputate Hook's hand." She sighed, "I know that I am the Evil Queen but I am not the villain in every fairy tale you have read."

"Just my story," Emma spoke with bitterness.

The silence was painful and the blonde struggled to form words, her mouth gaping as she internally scolded herself but her pride blocking her from any kind of utterance. She looked at Regina and could see her features in the glow of the fire; her lips tight, her eyes dark, her face without expression. The dark-haired woman met Emma's gaze, and almost growled her words, "Yes, Miss Swan… I am the villain in your story. Now, go to sleep."

Silence fell upon them in thickness as both women rolled away from each other, the dark facing the flames and the light facing the window's framed view of stars.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Pull the Reins**

The morning light was harsh against Emma's face as she blinked rapidly to adjust to the daylight. She stretched, groaning loudly as she did, forgetting for a moment where she was but then memories returned. She turned quickly seeing that she was alone and leapt from the bed.

"Regina!" She shouted as she moved quickly through the cottage, worrying about its vacancy. She pulled open the door and saw nothing but meadows of rich, green grass. She stepped outside, her bare feet loving the softness of the blades beneath her. "Where the fuck is she? I knew it, I knew she would do this… leave me in the middle of nowhere. Why the hell did she.. why did I… wh-wh-wh… Emma Swan, you are a fuckin idiot!"

Emma screamed at the skies, running her hands through her locks, before turning to go back to the cottage to change and find some way out of here. As she stepped over the threshold she heard the sound of hooves hitting the soft turf. She turned and couldn't help but let her mouth fall open. -Regina sat straight on a black stallion, her legs astride his strong back, her hands tight on the black reins, her face fresh in the gentle breeze. Behind her, another horse followed, a chestnut mare, her saddle empty of a rider. The brunette pulled closer to the cottage and Emma could see a smile gracing the older woman's face, a smile of youth and freedom, a smile private and only for Regina to wear and not for Emma to witness because as she pulled to a halt the smile was no more. Regina jumped down, her pants of black leather, her white shirt loose on her shoulders, its buttons revealing a hint of cleavage, its length reaching thighs. Emma gasped as she studied the older woman, before reminding herself that she was staring.

"Have you ever heard of leaving a note?" Emma barked. "I thought…"

"That I left you to your own devices because that is what an evil queen would do, isn't it Miss Swan?" Regina interrupted, her tone snide.

"You could, you know… leave me behind," Emma offered, sounding braver than she felt.

"Yes, I could but then my son would hate me more than he already did."

"So this is all to get back into Henry's good books?"

Regina laughed without feeling, "Yes, Miss Swan… that is exactly what all this is about. Now, if you could dress I will teach you to ride because trust me when I say riding horseback without any form of clothing is wretched on your behind."

Emma looked down and realised that she was still only wearing a shirt. She went back into the cottage and pulled open the wardrobe finding trousers of black and shirts of cotton. She pulled on her underwear before dressing in thick black trousers and deciding to keep her black shirt. She pulled her long hair free from the collar and chuckled to herself, "Just need an eye-mask and I am Zorro."

She glanced back on the bed, seeing her newly acquired dagger and tucked it into her belt. She took a deep breath before stepping back outside seeing Regina feeding the horses, an apple each of course. Emma laughed beneath her breath before clearing her throat loudly.

Regina turned to her and raised an eyebrow as she studied Emma in her black attire.

"I know, Zorro, right?" Emma joked.

Regina smiled slightly and shook her head, "Have you ever been on a horse?"

"Nope," Emma answered. "How hard can it be? Like a bike, right?"

"Yes, Miss Swan… just like a bike."

"Sarcasm, right?"

Regina shook her head before pulling the chestnut mare to her side, "Slip your foot into the stirrup and haul yourself over."

"I've seen movies," Emma cockily replied, before failing to mount four times. "Ha! Fifth time is the charm."

Regina couldn't help but smile at Emma's cheer, "Now hold the reins… without strangling the horse."

Emma relaxed her grip, struggling not to show her fear, "They're bigger than they look in the movies."

Regina looked up at her, "Have you never seen a horse?"

"Not close up."

"Oh," Regina pulled the horse into a walk murmuring softly to animal. Emma leaned forward trying to hear what was being said, but couldn't make out a word just a tender tone. She relaxed into the saddle, trusting the brunette to lead the horse and found herself comfortable.

Regina looked up at the blonde, recognising the error, "Trust your horse and she'll trust you, Sheriff."

"Huh?"

"Tighten your hold of the rein… you're the boss."

Emma nodded not quite understanding until Regina slapped the animal on its rear. Emma screamed as the horse broke into a gallop, leaning forward, clutching its neck as she prayed in screams.

Regina watched for a moment or two, before swearing under her breath and pulling herself up onto her own steed.

"Hyah!" she pushed the horse into a gallop, chasing the runaway mare, shouting instructions at the blonde. "Pull the reins up!"

Emma continued to ignore her as she cried her fears.

Regina pushed faster, matching the mare's pace, shouting at Emma once more to pull up the reins only to be ignored again. She watched in horror as the blonde dropped the reins altogether, and struggled to remain in the saddle. She leaned forward, trying to catch the reins but failing. She grabbed the back of Emma's belt, her heels gripping her own steed as she used the blonde's tall frame as leverage to reach closer to the reins, exhaling a breath she did not know she was holding when she finally caught it. She pulled both horses into a halt before sitting up straight and catching her breath and then she laughed. Emma opened her eyes, not realising that she had clenched them shut and turned to the laughter. She raised a brow, confused at the sudden mirth from the older woman and curious about a sound she had never heard before. Regina saw the look in green eyes and sobered quickly.

"I am happy you finding me nearly dying on a horse makes you laugh…"

Regina shook her head and cleared her throat, "No, it's not that though that was quite amusing… it's just I find it ironic that I saved your mother from the same fate…"

Emma sat up straight, grimacing as the horse moved slightly under her, "You did?"

Regina nodded, "Yes, she was just a child and almost thrown from a runaway horse. It was the first time I laid eyes on Snow, and she adored me, idolised me…"

"If you saved her why would you want to kill her?"

Regina smiled cruelly, "I wasn't always evil."

Regina clicked her tongue and led the horse away, leaving the blonde alone on the chestnut mare.

"Shit!" Emma grumbled to herself before pulling the reins. "Oh come on, move horsey."

"Pull the reins Miss Swan," Regina called without looking behind her.

It was another hour before Emma finally mastered the art of controlling the horse, only falling once. The fall only made her determined, and Regina's surprising gently praise when she managed to lead the horse over a small jump made her an eager student. She grinned widely when she easily changed the horse's gait without gripping the poor beast's mane. Regina nodded her approval.

"Finally, now we can make a move," Regina clicked her tongue and led her stallion into a comfortable canter, pleased to find Emma behind her at the same pace.

"Have you taught Henry how to ride?" Emma said, breaking a comfortable silence. Regina glanced over at her and murmured a 'no'. Emma continued, "You should teach him when we get back… he'd love it."

Regina said nothing, continuing to look ahead.

"Is Zorro real?"

Regina took a double-take at the random question and said nothing.

"I mean Snow White is real, Captain Hook is real… Hell! The Mad Hatter is real, so it's not really that much of a dumb question…"

"I guess, it's possible…"

"What about Superman?"

Regina shook her head, "Miss Swan, I am not going to spend this journey discussing fictional or non-fictional characters."

Emma slumped as silence fell again, making a face behind the older woman's back. A further thirty minutes passed before she dared speak again.

"You're a great teacher."

The brunette turned to her, surprised by both the break to their silence and the compliment. She took a breath, "I had a great teacher myself…"

Emma caught the tremble in the older woman's voice and waited for Regina to continue only to be disappointed by silence. She broke it moments later, "So any idea where we find Captain Hook?"

"Yes, his hook will lead me to him…"

"That sounds dirty..." Emma interrupted and grinned when Regina raised an eyebrow. "Okay, how is his hook going to lead you to him?"

"I placed a spell on it for him to carry out a task for me," She curved her anger, leveling her voice before continuing, "He didn't and so the spell still exists in hook and one can feel their own magic, I can feel his location."

"Hm," Emma shrugged.

"And none of that makes any sense to you, does it?"

Emma shook her head and Regina continued, "It's a good thing one of us understands this world then…"

"I am glad I am not alone here," Emma confessed.

Regina watched her carefully, seeing a woman hiding her fear expertly, her blonde locks free and wild from riding, her clothes black in colour and flattering to her form, the trousers tightened at her waist with a belt, her shirt tucked in, pulling at her chest, her neck slender but for a simple necklace, her hands strong with reins between fingers. Emma Swan may be a stranger to this world, but she did not appear to be.

"I am glad I am not alone either, Miss Swan," Regina admitted softly.

Emma chuckled, "I think with everything we have been through, you can call me Emma, you know."

"I know I can Miss Swan," Regina replied, revealing nothing.

Emma was about to open her mouth when she heard Regina laugh slightly, "Emma."

The blonde grinned and Regina nodded before smiling herself, "Now Emma, can you keep up?"

"Huh?"

"Hyah!" Regina shouted, kicking her steed into a full gallop, laughing when she heard Emma shout behind her and struggle to get her horse into gear. She was about to slow down, grumbling internally at how the blonde was slowing her down, but heard the successful pounding of hooves against the enchanted forests roads. She looked behind her and saw Emma galloping gainfully, a full smile spread across her face and couldn't help but mimic the act.

A/N: Please let me know what you think.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Hooking a Compass**

Every part of Emma's lower extremities hurt but Regina still wasn't letting them slow down. She grimaced as the horse leapt over another fallen tree, groaning as the saddle slammed into her groin once more. She was about to yell for Regina to slow down when the brunette pulled to a halt. The older woman sat tall on her horse, her back straight, her hair wind-swept, her face without expression other than a knowing smirk adorning her lips. She raised a finger to her lips, asking Emma to stay silent as she looked around the surrounding woods before clearing her throat.

From beyond the trees, a man of pale complexion and dark hair stepped out wearing arrogance in his grin, dark clothes on his form, tight leather trousers and a loose tunic. He raised his left arm, the sun causing his hook to shimmer. He approached Regina's horse, his smile never fading.

"I heard you were back," he announced. "And guessed you were looking for me…"

Regina nodded slightly, willing him to continue.

"And no doubt, you want to kill me…"

"For betraying me," Regina finished. "Yes, but before I do that I need something from you."

Hook looked over at Emma and raised an eyebrow, "And who is this?"

"Doesn't matter who she is," Regina stated.

The man ignored her stepping closer to the chestnut mare upon which sat Emma and bowed with huge exaggeration, "Captain Killian Jones at your service, otherwise known as Hook…"

Emma laughed in disbelief, "Not what I imagined Hook to look like. Was thinking Dustin Hoffman and long black wig not Eighties British Punk Rock Wannabe with eyeliner."

Hook creased his eyes in confusion while Regina smirked at the comment.

"Okay, feisty aren't you?" The captain couldn't finish his sentence as he was lifted from the ground and thrown against the nearest tree, its branches bounding him like rope. He moaned at the sudden pain before meeting the dark eyes of the witch. Regina sat with her arm outright, fingers splayed, her face showing mirth at playing old tricks again, while Emma sat horrified especially when the older woman wished the branches to tighten, slowly crushing the man.

"Regina, stop!" Emma yelled, jumping down from her horse. "You're killing him."

Regina glanced at the blonde and sighed before loosening her grip. Hook coughed after he landed on the ground, his hands to his ribs as he struggled to get air back in his lungs. She looked up at the brunette with anger in his eyes, preparing himself to charge her only to have the blonde's hand grip his shoulder; her eyes telling him to not act on his desires.

"Your majesty," Hook spluttered. "I found you. You didn't find me… what does that suggest?"

"You're an idiot," Regina deadpanned.

Hook shrugged, "Probably. But also I can help you… I heard you were back and I heard you are trying to find a way back to your new world and I can help…"

He barely finished his sentence when he was again slammed against the tree and bound tightly against its bough.

"Regina!"

Emma looked back at the brunette who snarled at the man, "How did you hear?"

Hook grumbled, "News travels… the princess Aurora and… help me please!"

Emma stepped closer to him, her green eyes narrowing, "Princess Aurora told you?"

Hook gasped, "Yes!"

Emma looked back at the brunette before shouting at the top of her lungs, "OGRES! COME ON! CUTE LITTLE GIANT OGRES!"

"Miss Swan, what the hell are you doing?"

"He's lying," Emma declared clearly. "COME ON SHREK!"

The roar of wakening monsters echoed through the trees and Hook yelped in fear, "They'll kill you too."

Emma laughed, "No they won't because you are tied to a tree and I am with a very powerful witch… who can do the whoosh cloud disappearance thing."

Regina nodded as she nudged her horse closer to the tree, "Now, the truth?"

"Cora!" Hook squealed as the branches tightened.

Regina glowered, "Let me guess… sent you to stop me from getting back?"

Hook laughed and shook his head, "No. She sent me to help you. She also wants to find a way to your world…"

"WHY!" Regina shouted ignoring the deafening roars from ogres nearing.

"She didn't tell me… I swear!"

"He's telling the truth," Emma confirmed and grimaced when Hook yelled again from the branches tightening. "Regina, he is telling the truth!"

"Fine," Regina released her grip on the boatman. She trembled slightly as the ground shook underneath them and looked to see the shadows of ogres approaching. "Dammit!"

"Miss Swan, get back on your horse."

Emma, seeing what the brunette could see mounted quickly quietly cheering herself at her success. She looked at Hook, "What about him?"

"How do we open a portal?"

"I won't tell you until we get out of here…"

Regina went to bound him again but Emma shouted, "As much as I get off on your power trips, we don't have time." She looked at Hook, "Get on!"

Hook jumped up behind Emma, wrapping his arms around her waist, grinning as he did so.

"Hyah!" Both women shouted, letting their horses guide them free of hungry beasts at a terrifying speed. Once free of trees and ogres, both horses slowed. Regina dismounted with ease, and looked up at the closeness between Emma and Hook, her features tightening as she swallowed slightly.

Emma frowned at the fury in her companion's dark eyes before noticing the close proximity of the man behind her. She pulled forward, hoping to loosen his grip but he only tightened, whispering into her ear, "You like this…Aagh!"

Regina grinned as she saw Hook lying flat on his back in the green grass, before looking up at the blonde who smiled back. She jumped down of her horse, landing face to face with Regina, barely an inch lay between them.

"Ah, I see," Hook chuckled causing both women to turn to him.

"You see what?" Emma asked.

He lifted his hook, pointing it between them. "You two…"

"This is ridiculous," Regina announced, storming to the now standing man and pushing her hand into his chest, ripping his heart out.

"Sweet fuck!"

The brunette ignored the blonde's profanity as she squeezed the glowing red organ and smiling sinisterly as the man screamed, "Tell me what I want to know."

"There is a compass…"

"Good boy," the brunette encouraged, loosening her grip on the organ.

"The compass in the last of the giant's lair…" Hook breathed out

"That's fee-fi-fo-fum, right?" Emma asked and Regina nodded.

"I thought the giants died," Regina ordered, squeezing the organ once more. "Don't lie to me."

"One is left!" Hook screamed. "I can help you to get to him…"

"I don't need your help," Regina declared. "You say one is left, which means there is one beanstalk left…"

Regina squeezed her grip on the heart, preparing to end the man who once betrayed her. She watched with cold eyes as he fell to his knees, clutching his chest, groaning in agony.

"You're killing him!" Emma shouted.

"And?"

"Regina, this is not you…"

"Miss Swan, what do you know of me?"

"I know that you are my son's mother and that the woman who raised that kind, considerate, sweet little boy is not the evil queen."

Regina closed her eyes when she thought of Henry and the fear in his eyes when he realised his greatest nightmare was real; that his mother was the evil queen. She swallowed as she released her grip on her heart, returning it to the paling man's chest.

She looked at Emma with sadness in her eyes, before returning to her steed, mounting it. Emma did the same before reaching her hand out to the Captain. "You're coming with us."

"Miss Swan…"

"Emma," The blonde almost shouted. "We keep him with us; he can't go back to your mother."

Regina tightened her lips, knowing the blonde was right, "Fine."

They reached the beanstalk within an hour of trekking, and Emma couldn't believe her eyes and was about to touch it when both Regina and Hook yelled at her to stop.

"Don't touch it," she spoke quickly. "It's protected by magic…"

"This place is seriously messed up…"

"I have something to stop that," Hook reached inside his pocket, pulling out a vial and pouring it on the stalk. They watched as the magic shimmered away and looked up the stalk.

"So we climb it, knock out a giant and find a compass, right?" Emma asked.

Hook nodded, "But someone should stay here… you know, keep watch?"

Regina eyed him suspiciously but nodded her agreement, "I will stay down here…"

Emma pulled Regina to privacy by her elbow, "Are you crazy? Leaving me alone with a deranged pirate to climb a freakin' beanstalk to ask a giant, a friggin' giant for a compass…"

"I don't trust him… but he wants to be in our world, and doesn't care which means he uses to get there, us or my mother. I need to make sure my mother doesn't come here… and you, despite your hard-headedness and colourful language cannot compete with my mother. Trust me… please Emma."

Emma's eyes softened as she recognised the plea in the older woman's eyes and she nodded.

"You'll need this," Regina waved over her Emma's hand, causing a pouch to land in her palm. "It'll make the giant fall asleep."

Emma marched over to Hook with a purpose in her stride, "Don't think I'm taking my eyes off you for a second."

Hook grinned, "I would despair if you did."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Let's go!"

The two climbed in silence until they reached a point where the ground was no longer in sight. Hook glanced over at the blonde and grinned, "Most men would be intimidated by your silence… I find it a challenge."

"I am concentrating," Emma bit out.

"No you're afraid to talk to me, to reveal yourself, to trust me…"

"I imagine that most people have difficulty trusting you…" Emma grunted as she pulled herself up higher.

"Ah the pirate thing," Hook chuckled. "But it's okay, because you're an open book."

"An open book?"

"Yeah, you're afraid to trust as you're frightened you will be abandoned. You're afraid that you will abandon your child like you have been abandoned."

"How do you know that?"

"Your eyes. You have the eyes of a lost boy or in your case, girl…"

Emma shook her head before looking over at the pirate and he took it as a cue to continue, "And you're frightened to love…"

Emma coughed before continuing her climb, "No I am not."

"So you told the queen you love her then?"

Emma raised her eyes in surprise, "What?!"

"I guess not then," Hook chuckled.

"I don't love Regina," Emma argued. "I don't…"

"Okay, my mistake," Hook raised his one hand in surrender, his hook digging into the stalk.

Hook realised quickly that he had touched a sore spot and chose to finish the remaining climb in silence. He was surprised when it was Emma that broke it.

"Why are you so desperate to get to Storybrooke anyway?"

"I need to skin me a crocodile," The man answered, waving his hook in the air.

"The guy who cut your hand off?" Emma asked in disbelief. "A lot of work to avenge a missing limb."

"Indeed."

When they had reached the top, they had made quick work of dropping the giant to his knees and into deep slumber, before running through his domain searching for the compass. Emma spotted it as she continued to ignore Hook's baiting comments. Having grabbed it and hearing the giant wakening she runs to another exit to be stopped by Hook.

"You've got it," Hook asked, desperate to see the gold instrument. Emma held it for him, only to have her chain him to the door. "What's this? I helped you…"

"You betrayed Regina so how do I know you won't betray me…" Emma sighed, "I'm sorry but I can't risk trusting you."

Hook laughed out loud, "You trust that woman. Do you know who she is?"

Emma nodded, "Better than anyone."

**A/N: Thank you to those who are showing an interest in my story. I know I am updating fast, but as I've been sick for the past few weeks, I've been writing this story non-stop to only edit it for updating. When I am back to work, etc. updates won't be so frequent so enjoy while you can. I worry about this chapter as a) I skimmed over the giant but figured you've watched the episode so don't need me to repeat it all again though I have borrowed elements and b) I think my pacing is still not as fast as a reader would like it to be. However I am finding it very therapeutic to write, and hope that some of you are enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Thank you for the follows, favourites and reviews. It really does make me happy. Anyhow, new chapter. Hope you enjoy**

**Chapter Six: Revisiting the Past**

Regina looked up the stalk for the umpteenth time, muttering Emma's name under her breath yet again. She glanced over at the horses who were content in their grazing. She felt nervous, unsettled and no amount of pacing or sighing could ease her. She could feel her near and a huge part of her wanted to run and leave the blonde behind but the other part of her, the part that adored her son, envied his innocence and desired his goodness, couldn't do that. And then there was an iota of her which couldn't bear to be without the younger woman. She looked up the beanstalk again, tempted to climb it herself but knowing she would open herself to a trap.

She moved away from the stalk, hoping distance from the giant plant would cease her impatience. She felt the arrival of her mother before she saw her. She turned and her mother stood, smiling that smile of fake love, eyes twinkling with cruelty and gown of expensive dark blue.

"Mother, I was waiting for you," Regina said, her voice sounding braver than she felt.

"I know you were my dear," Cora smiled, before lifting her hands, touching the woman on both arms. "Oh, I've missed you…"

Regina laughed bitterly, "Missed me?"

Cora nodded, "Of course dear. I understand what you did when you exiled me to Wonderland. I understand your reasons…"

"You understand my reasons?"

"Are you going to repeat everything I say?"

Regina said nothing, pulling back from her mother's embrace.

"I should never have forced you to marry the king…"

"No you shouldn't have," Regina concurred. "I was not more than a child, and you had me marry a man old enough to be my father, and a mother to that little girl"

"I know what I did was wrong, but trust me when I say it was all for you."

"No Mother!" Regina's tone harshened as she stepped up to the older woman. "You did not do it all for me. You did it for yourself. You did it out of your incessant need to have power. Not once did you care that you were forcing me into a loveless union…"

"Love is weakness."

Regina continued, ignoring the interruption, "That you were forcing me to bed a man who made me cringe, forcing me to pretend I loved him… You Did Not Care!"

"That is true, but look at everything you've achieved…"

"Ha!" Regina laughed without feeling. She walked away. "I got caught mother! I got stripped of everything! My son hates me like I hate you!"

"You love me, you said so at my coffin," Cora argued. "And your son loves you… We can…"

Regina eyes flashed as she raised her hand, suspending her mother in the air. Her words were filled with threats, "Hear me well Mother! There is no we when it comes to My son! I will kill you before I let you touch a hair on his head…"

Cora laughed, her glee evident, "Don't be ridiculous my dear… You won't kill me. You've never been able to kill me because you are weak…"

Regina struggled to hold her composure. Cora could see her offspring weakening and continued, "And who is to say that when you successfully return to your world that Snow's daughter will take away what is rightfully hers… your son? Who is to say that once you successfully rescue the saviour that they won't banish you, exile you, even kill you?"

Regina swallowed, her hold on her mother loosening, "She won't do that to me…"

Cora cackled, "Love is weakness… have you not learned this by now?"

Regina's released her mother, her voice cracking as she fell to her knees, "Why don't you love me?"

Cora rolled her shoulders as she walked over to her daughter, letting her hand rest of her head, her fingers running through the short hair, "When I was a girl I had nothing… I couldn't bear for my daughter to suffer the same. I couldn't let you suffer that humiliation…"

"I was humiliated when Leopold removed my wedding gown and I burst into tears. I wept as he taught me my wifely duties… I was humiliated because I had to pretend to love him in the same way I loved Daniel…"

"Regina, Daniel was…"

Regina rose to her feet, stepped to her mother almost nose to nose, "You do not get to say his name. Now if you truly wanted what is best for me, you would step aside…"

Cora turned to the stalk and waved her arm, successfully cutting it from its roots, watching it shrivel into nothing.

Regina screamed as she ran to it, "Emma!"

Cora smiled, evil painting her face, "And that my dear is your most humiliating act to date…"

Regina turned to her mother, tears threatening to weep, "What did you do?"

"Saving you from yourself…"

"You ruined my way home!" Regina shouted.

"No, I saved you from the crushing humiliation of when you return to your world and realise that you love the woman whose destiny it is to destroy you, and believe me my dear, she will destroy you because you ruined her life and your son, who you willingly sacrifice everything… your snivelling son will always choose her just like Leopold always chose Snow and your father always chose me! But if you and I were to go back without the saviour, imagine how we can destroy Snow and that stupid shepherd, imagine the power of us combined, and your son? We can teach him that power… have him be our legacy. Regina, don't y-"

"Hey Bitch!"

Cora turned to receive a loud, cracking smack in the face with a heavy branch and fell to the ground unconscious. Regina looked past her mother's limp form and saw the blonde standing there grinning, showing off the compass in her hand.

Regina smiled tentatively, swallowing her tears, "I thought she trapped you…"

Emma shrugged, "Nah, I've been on the ground for a while… but Hook, well he's really going to be pissed."

"So will she when she comes round…"

"Then we should get out of here," Emma declared, walking to the horses. She mounted hers with an almost expert ease. She looked over at Regina who was standing, staring at her mother's form and she sighed internally. "Are you coming?"

Regina looked over and nodded, mounting her own horse. The two women galloped in the opposite direction that they had arrived in, aimless in their journey.

When dusk began to fall, Emma eased her horse to a halt and waited for Regina to do the same. She looked over at the older woman, "Where are we going?"

"There is a castle near here. We can find shelter…"

"Castle?"

"Maleficent's home… the dragon you slayed…" Regina spoke softly, emotion evident in her words. "I believe we will be safe for the night…"

"Regina, we have the compass, can't we just go home?"

"Emma, I don't know what to do with the compass because you left the person who told us about it to be a giant's breakfast…"

"Oh, my fault, is it?" Emma snapped. "Of course, I should've trusted the pirate… who incidentally works with your mother… and don't you think she found us there because he led her to us… So yeah, I should have brought the sociopath with us to a dragon's castle where he can call the complete psychotic bitch that is your mother to come over for tea where she kills me of course, because I am Snow White's daughter which, by the way, makes me feel insane saying out loud, and then Mother of the Year goes back to making you, the strongest woman I know, feel so crippling small and irrelevant that she eventually breaks you but before you die that lonely death that she will surely be responsible for. Before she completely destroys you, she will destroy your son! My son! Yes, your majesty! That is exactly what I should have done!"

Regina was stunned by the outrage in the blonde's voice, and stuttered over words before finally forming a sentence, "We need shelter because of the ogres… and then we'll figure out how the compass works…"

Emma nodded and followed the older woman along the banks of a large lake, into a darkened castle. She waited patiently as Regina lit up the rooms of the castle with a flick of the wrist and followed her to what she recognised to be a throne room. The castle was bare of excessive furniture, bare of decorations, bare of anything of value. Emma sat on one of the chairs before the fireplace that Regina lit the old fashioned way, with a torch.

Regina sat in the other chair and stared at the flames before glancing over at the blonde, "I'm sorry… I know it's not your fault…"

Emma nodded, "Your mother… she's a piece of work."

Regina chuckled, "Yes she is…"

"I did not know you were forced to marry Mary, Snow's father…"

Regina glared at the flames, her words hard, "How much did you hear?"

Emma faltered, before leaning over the arm of her chair, "Regina, I didn't know any of this…"

"Miss Swan, do not treat me like a victim!"

"I'm sorry…"

Regina stood up, lifting the compass up, studying it, "Maybe it works like the hat?"

"Yeah?"

Emma jumped to her feet and watched Regina place the compass on the table. She nudged the needle, wishing it to spin but nothing happened. Regina swore as she tried again and again.

"Regina… it's not the way," Emma said softly. Emma reached forward resting her hand on the brunette's arm, mirroring their actions when they opened the original portal in the town hall.

The two women stared at each other, the younger swallowing and the older biting her lower lip. Emma cleared her throat and broke eye contact and stepped away. She glanced back at the compass.

"Maybe the compass leads us to a portal."

"Maybe," Regina whispered. "We'll leave in the morning… we should sleep."

Emma nodded in agreement. She followed the older woman to a bedroom and watched as the woman made the bed comfortable with a twist of the wrist. She studied the mayor, her dark hair half-way down her neck, untamed from the riding, but still perfect in appearance; her clothes wrinkled from the saddles, her skin pale from the emotion, her dark eyes soft, her spirit broken. Regina stood next to the bed, pushing her leather trousers down, stepping out of them, before looking up at the blonde. She arced an eyebrow. Emma stepped closer to the bed, standing against the opposite side.

"Regina," she said softly. "I swear that I will not let you be banished; exiled or killed when we get home…"

"And Henry?" Regina's voice trembled and Emma felt her heart crack. The taller woman knelt on the bed, taking the older woman's hands in her own, urging her to look at her.

"I swear I will not take him away from you like I've always sworn…he is our son."

"Our son," Regina repeated.

"Our son," Emma confirmed.

When the two women lay in bed, they were both on their backs staring up at the ceiling, each aware of the others' breathing.

"Emma," Regina spoke quietly.

"Yes?"

"I wasn't born evil," the brunette confessed.

"I know you weren't," Emma said softly, "Regina, you're not evil."

Having heard nothing but the softest of breathing, she continued. "I wasn't born brazen."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," the older woman jested, to receive a gentle punch in the arm. "Did you ever read Henry's book?"

Emma was quiet for a moment, before she laughed, "You know, I haven't actually."

"I tried to kill your mother many times. I tried to separate her from your father, ruin her true love. I cursed an entire community of people to a new world with no memory of their loved ones, with no happy endings… I killed people to hurt your mother. I had her father kil-"

"Regina, why are you telling me this?"

"Because you deserve to know why you grew up with no family…" Regina turned her head to face Emma who was looking at her, her eyes shining in the moons light and continued. "It's in the book.. Your story and your parents' story and my story."

"What's your story?" Emma coaxed tenderly.

Regina laughed one laugh, a laugh of resentment before speaking. "The story of the Evil Queen-"

"No, the story of Regina," Emma interrupted.

Regina looked into green eyes and saw similar emotions of anger, hurt, confusion, frustration that always graced those eyes but this time, compassion countered them. She sighed, "When I was young, I fell in love with the stable boy and he loved me…"

"Daniel?" Emma asked, edging closer to the trembling woman.

"Yes," Regina nodded. "My mother would have hated the match so we kept our love secret, with plans to elope. Then your mother came into my life, a victim of a runaway horse. She caught us kissing in the stable and threatened to tell her father. I begged her not to tell anyone, explained to her how much I loved him and that this good, kind, strong wonderful man was my true love. She swore to keep my secret but she didn't…"

"She told your mother." Emma finished the tale and Regina nodded.

"And my mother killed Daniel before my eyes, ripped his heart from his chest and crushed it into dust… I blamed your mother."

Emma wanted to defend her mother, wanted to explain that she was just a child but knew that was an argument the older woman had heard before. "Do you still blame her?"

Regina rolled to face the blonde, "Emma, my mother will not hesitate to kill someone else I love in the same way…"

"She won't get near Henry, I promise."

Regina nodded, smiling slightly, "I know you won't…"

"Regina, you're not evil…"

"I killed Graham," Regina admitted. "I took his heart, controlled him and crushed it when he was no longer mine."

Emma shut her eyes, willing herself to remain calm and taking a deep breath, "Regina, you're not evil…"

"Why do you need me to be good?" Regina asked, her voice louder than a whisper.

"Because… because..." Emma looked into brown eyes, waiting for an answer and shook her head. "Because I need you to be."

Regina rolled back onto her back and shut her eyes, and felt the other woman do the same. Silence fell onto them, and both waited for the lull of slumber.

"You were pretty impressive with the throwing people in the air…" Emma broke the silence and grinned when she heard the other woman chuckle.

"Not as impressive as you with a branch," Regina countered before imitating Emma's voice, "'Hey Bitch!' That was pretty impressive."

Emma laughed loudly, "Years of bounty-hunter work trained me for that moment."

Regina chuckled and met Emma's eyes, wanting to say something but struggled to form the right words. The younger woman nodded and smiled.

"You would have done the same for me," Emma mumbled, stifling her yawn.

Regina looked over at the blonde, whose eyes were closed, and sleep was consuming rapidly. She nodded and whispered into the night sky, "Yes, I would have."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Just want to say thank you to all those who are reading and following this story. It's always feels better writing when you know that there's a reader. Also want to say thank you to those who favourited and who have reviewed. It's nice to hear what people think. I have no beta so mistakes are mine and with much editing and revising I am hoping typos and such errors are limited. Hope you enjoy this update and please let me know what you think.**

**Chapter Seven: Mirrors**

Regina awoke to an empty bed and panicked as she dressed quickly. She ran down spiral stairs to find Emma staring out the large broken window over onto the lake.

Emma turned to see the older woman wearing the same leather pants and white shirt, and despite some stains, she pulled the appearance of as if she was in her mayor's attire. Regina ran her fingers through her hair, desperate to smooth it even though it didn't need it.

She looked at the table and saw food, bread, meat, berries and water, and raised a questioning eyebrow. Emma smiled shyly, "I took the horse, found a village and got some food…"

"You did what? How did you know where to - How did you pay?" Regina asked, doubt in her tone and recognised guilt in her companion's face in the same way she recognised it in her son's. "Miss Swan, what did you do?"

Emma shrugged before mumbling, "I stole the bread and meat… I'm starving. Haven't eaten in years."

"We haven't been here for years," Regina chided before breaking of a piece of the bread, eating it slowly as she watched the blonde turn back to the window.

The taller woman was leaning against the stone frame, her long golden locks unruly from the activities of this world yet shone in the sun, her black shirt hung loose from her trousers, torn slightly where the gleam of the dagger was fighting to escape, her trousers scuffed and filled with grazes from grass and dirt, and Regina couldn't help but feel guilt; a feeling that was strange to her after decades of feeling nothing. It was because of her that this young woman was thrown in this world so different from her own; it was because of her that this woman battled beasts and fought monsters; it was because of her that she did not call this world home and she felt guilt inside. She cleared her throat before drinking some of the water. Emma looked back at her and Regina stood up, walking to her standing by her looking at the blue ripples in the great lake, the sun painting the hills with it rays, bathing nature in its heat.

"I'm sorry."

Emma shrugged off the apology and Regina swallowed any further words of commiseration, "When we get home," Emma let out a breath before shaking her head, "You will need to face some sort of punishment, prove you want to redeem yourself…"

Regina raised her eyebrow, "Who said I wanted redemption?"

Emma pushed herself of the wall that she had been leaning against, spinning to face the brunette, "I do…"

Regina studied Emma, her face showed tiredness, her eyes showed resignation, her body standing straight, preparing for another argument. She, herself, wanted to argue, to shout, to damn this younger woman for all recent events, to mock her goodness but instead she said nothing and turned to look at the lake.

"Explain magic to me," Emma said suddenly, walking away and sitting on the table where the remains of bread and water remained.

"Magic?"

"In Storybrooke, you said magic is different," Emma asked, sitting down and lifting a cup of water. "But here, you know magic here, right? So why can't you just magic us a portal?"

"I don't have that kind of magic… I was never taught."

Regina sat opposite her interrogator.

"Who taught you? Your mother?"

Regina shook her head sadly, "No… had she taught me magic as she desired, life might have been quite different…"

"So who taught you?"

"Rumplestiltskin."

"Could you ever say his name with a straight face?"

Regina smiled at the joke. "I was so consumed with grief that I never knew I was being manipulated, and then so consumed with rage and a desire for vengeance that I never stopped to think that I was a puppet and he was the master…"

"It was his curse," Emma confirmed and saw Regina nod. "Does your mother have the magic to create a portal?"

"No, if she did, she would have come to Storybrooke a long time ago… or she would have found a way out of Wonderland-"

"Wonderland? As in down the rabbit hole?"

"More like through the looking glass. I banished her there… pushed her through a mirror shortly before my wedding," Regina explained. "Emma, I don't know how this is helping…"

Emma smiled kindly, "You pushed your mother through a mirror? How did she get back?"

"I don't know how this helping," Regina argued, getting ready to stand before the younger woman grabbed her wrist urging her to sit back down.

"If your mother was exiled to another world, how did she get back to this world?"

"I got her back with Jefferson's hat…" Regina answered softly, recognising what Emma's objective was.

"The same hat that got us here?"

Regina nodded and Emma couldn't help but slam her free hand on the table, "Dammit! Hang on, what about the mirror that you pushed her through? Can we do something with that mirror? Where is it?

The older woman reached forward, grabbing Emma's hand with her own, her grip gentle, halting her rapid firing of questions, "I smashed the mirror after Da- I smashed the mirror."

Emma closed her eyes and clenched a fist, breathing deeply before exhaling and looking into brown eyes, "Seven years of bad luck not scare you then?"

Regina smirked as she pulled back her hand, "I wish you never pushed me out of the way."

Emma looked up at her and ignored the confession, "Okay, so Jefferson who is in Storybrooke and isn't the psycho I thought he was and Hook is in some cloud with a giant are the only two people who can get us free from here."

Regina shook her head, "There are two others that I know of."

"Your mother?"

Regina nodded, shuddering at the thought.

"Who else?"

"Rumplestiltskin…"

"Who is in Storybrooke."

Regina nodded before slapping the palm of her hand on the table, "Mirrors!"

Emma looked at the woman, "You just said you smashed it-"

"No, they have many uses. They are doorways to elements of life. I used them to find people… actually Sidney did," Regina explained.

"Sidney Glass?"

"Yes, he was a genie… oh that doesn't matter. Anyway, mirrors can also be used as a form of video telephone," Regina explained. "It was how I contacted others before I mastered transportation."

"Like Skype?"

Regina nodded, recognising enthusiasm from her companion, "Yes, like Skype… I may have enough magic to use a mirror to talk to someone in Storybrooke…"

Emma jumped up on her feet and pulled away from the table quickly glancing to every wall, trying to find a mirror.

"Emma, mirrors aren't easy to find here. Once people realised what I was using them for, they destroyed them or hid them…"

"Fairytale people not a fan of the Patriot Act then," Emma mumbled.

"Maleficent would have one hidden, vanity was a sin she happily entertained. We just have to find it," Regina declared.

It took almost two hours for Emma to find a small hand held mirror, having savaged each room to get to it, and once she was successful she wasted no time shouting for Regina. The older woman climbed the spiral stairs to where Emma stood, grinning with a mirror in her hand. She shook her head mumbling, "Not as if I'm not the most wanted villain in this land."

Emma had the grace to look sheepish as she passed the mirror to the brunette and followed her into the small tower room, empty except a dressing table, a small bed and a single candlestick. Regina sat on the bed, willing all her power into the small, ornate, silver looking glass only to have a wisp of purple smoke rise and evaporate from the reflection. She frowned, seeing only her dark eyes, tight lips and pale skin, recognising her exhaustion and almost, resignation. She closed her eyes, concentrating but realising she has nothing to concentrate on as she remembers only mirrors in her manor and in the town hall. She couldn't remember Gold's shop or Mary Margaret's loft, well she could, but not their mirrors. She looked up at the waiting blonde and gasped as she swallowed a breath. She explained to Emma and the blonde sat next to her, placing her hand gently on her wrist.

"Okay, Henry's school?" Emma started making suggestions. "The diner… the library… a car… where else have you been?"

"Everywhere, it's my town," Regina snapped. "I just never paid any attention to the mirrors… wait, Archie's office."

"Archie's office... he has a mirror over the bookcase," Emma grinned, and watched as Regina returned all concentration to the glass, before looking as purple smoke rose from the piece. She could see the brunette trembling as she gripping the handle harder and placed her own hand over the quivering fingers, wrapping them in comfort and then both women gasped. They could see the office in place of their reflection, walls adorned with bookcases and framed diplomas, the centre of the room with an armchair where Dr. Hopper sat listening intently to his patient, Tom or Sneezy who lay on the couch.

"I swear doc, I am going crazy. All this talk of fairy dust and mines and dwarves! They keep calling me Sneezy! I'm not crazy, they're crazy!" Tom shouted before squealing, "No, it's me. I'm crazy…"

"What is it?"

"I am pretty certain that I can see the mayor in the mirror with the sheriff," Tom stated simply and jumped when Archie yelped too.

The psychiatrist stood up and stepped closer to the mirror, waving foolishly only to see Emma smile back and Regina roll her eyes.

"Archie, you see us?" Emma shouted, ignoring Regina's flinch at the volume.

"Yes, I do," Archie shouted back. "Oh, it's so good to see you Emma… everyone was worried. Your parents, Henry. Tom, get them…"

"Who?"

"Snow White…"

"I told you! Everyone is crazy!" Tom snapped.

"Get the acting sheriff," Archie demanded, calmly. "And tell him what you saw here…"

"We need Gold," Emma yelled.

"And ask him to bring Mr. Gold."

Tom was out the door as Archie finished his sentence. He looked back at the two women, "Where are you? How are you? Are you hurt?"

"We're fine," Emma answered. "Henry? Is he okay?"

Archie smiled, "Yes, he is fine. Worried desperately about you and your parents have been trying to convince the hatter to fix the hat. He suffers nightmares-"

"Jefferson?" Emma asked, confused.

"No, sorry, Henry," Archie explained.

"Henry?" Regina spoke for the first time, and saw Archie study her carefully before nodding.

"The netherworld… from your.."

"Oh God!" Regina dropped the mirror, Archie and his office disappearing from the glass, her hand to her lip as tears threaten to fall from her eyes. "The sleeping curse."

"Regina?" Emma called. "We need to get them back… you need to get them back."

Regina shook her head, "He is there because of me. I hadn't even thought…"

Emma could see the woman shaking, her skin rapidly losing its colour, eyes filled with water and put the mirror on the bed next to her before turning to her and speaking, "Regina what is the netherworld?"

"It's a consequence from the sleeping curse. Trapped between the world of wake and sleep; a room where you feel lost and trapped in pain, real, fiery pain which scars your mind and body. And it's my fault…"

"Is he in danger?" Emma asked, anger in her tone.

Regina nodded, tears spilling from her closed eyes, "He is physically being hurt every time he sleeps, to a point where he will now sleep anymore causing him to go insane instead…"

The sound of slap echoed through the tower, causing Regina to yelp. Regina felt the sting to her cheek, the cut inside her mouth open again, and the blood pour from the corner of her lips. She licked the wound as she studied green eyes warily.

"You did this," Emma snarled. "You did this to our son..."

"I'm sorry," Regina cried, tears in her eyes. "I never intended for him to…"

"Be the one poisoned?" Emma asked bitterly. "I know!"

Emma sat back and breathed heavily as she tried to calm her anger, never taking her eyes from the brunette. Regina took a deep breath before reaching over to take the mirror, feeling the rage brimming from the younger woman's form.

She struggled to focus her magic, and could only get glimmers and flashes of Archie's office, her breathing becoming more erratic with each attempt. She was close to hyperventilating when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. She dared herself to look into Emma's eyes, "I'm sorry."

Emma yelled loudly, standing before glaring at the smaller woman, anger darkening her eyes, "Stop fuckin' apologising. Stop saying that you're sorry, because you're not! You're not sorry about any of this! You're only sorry that you had been caught! So for once just admit, that you're sorry about getting caught. Say it now!"

Regina shook her head.

"Can you honestly tell me that had I eaten the turnover you would have felt guilty? Can you honestly say that you be crying over my bed as I slept in this God Damn Netherworld, wishing you weren't so stupidly threatened by me? Can you honestly say that as I lay dead to the world that you would be apologising to my son for doing that to me? Can you honestly tell me that you felt bad about the curse? Hell! Do you even feel bad about framing Mary Margaret? Or kidnapping Kathryn or setting up Sidney or manipulating Graham… what about killing Graham! Do you feel sorry about any of the shit that has happened since I met you?" Emma's cheeks red from anger, fists clenched as rage coursed through her veins, heart beating loudly against her chest with each furious word, voice hoarse from each accusation she shouted. She stepped forward, grabbing the brunette's face by the chin, ignoring the flash of fury in dark eyes as she leaned forward and hissed, "Stop saying that you're sorry, because you're not."

"I'm not!" Regina yelled as she pushed the taller woman back. "You're right, I'm not sorry because I don't know how to be. Ever since we got here, you tell me to be good, that you believe in me, that I can be redeemed… I never said any of that. You said that! You talk like a saviour because you are the saviour. You're on the good side and I am on the bad side because that's how our cards were played. You, Miss Swan, are not my damn saviour so stop being it. You just-you just… I never would intentionally hurt my son."

"I know you would never intentionally hurt Henry," Emma's tone was empty. "Now try again…"

Regina exhaled deeply before nodding and breathing out. She took the mirror once more, using every iota of her being to find Storybrooke again. Her breath hitched when the office flashed before settling. Archie had Snow who was in tears, James who was pacing and Rumplestiltskin who was amused with him, but neither woman were interested in them. They were interested in the small boy sitting on the couch, pale from fear and exhaustion.

"Henry," Regina whispered, desperate to reach out and touch him. She saw his eyes fill with fear and doubt when they landed on her, and heard the gasp he uttered before smiling and she smiled too before realising his smile was for the blonde that sat with her. Her heart clenched, and she struggled to hide the pain.

"Oh, Emma!" Snow squealed. "We've been so worried. Are you okay? Where are you? What can we do?"

Emma laughed, "We're okay… and we need help from him."

Rumplestiltskin limped closer to the mirror, "Who would have thought, the saviour and the evil queen together?"

"We don't have time for games," Regina snapped. "We have a compass and I need you to tell me how to work it…"

"And tell me, your majesty," Rumplestiltskin smirked, "Why would I help you?"

"You wouldn't," Regina's voice was hard. "But you would help the Saviour."

"And why would I do that?"

Regina sighed, "Because you have a plan for everyone. And I am certain you have a plan for Miss Swan… You created her into your curse for a reason, and not to break it…"

The man laughed before nodding, "Show me the compass."

Emma lifted the gold instrument to the mirror and the imp moved closer, studying it before nodding, "It is enchanted to direct you to any world… very valuable indeed, but useless on its own."

Both women were disappointed, and both hearts were breaking when they heard their son's quivering voice, "So they can't get home?"

"I didn't say that," The dark one chuckled. "I just said the compass alone doesn't work… you need an element of a portal, material from it even if it doesn't work… wood, stone, cloth."

"We set fire to the wardrobe," Emma groaned.

"You set fire to the wardrobe?" Snow repeated.

"Yeah, the one you put me in," Emma explained.

Snow was perturbed by the bitterness in her daughter's tone. Emma ignored the hurt in her mother's sweet eyes as she continued, "To stop Cora."

"Cora?" Rumplestiltskin laughed. "I thought she was dead."

"So did I," Regina stated quietly.

"And she wants to come along for the ride, I guess," The man's question was rhetorical but Emma answered with a yes anyway. He looked at her and grinned before leaning closer to the mirror, his eyes filled with a even balance of mirth and cruelty focusing on the former queen. "You cannot let her come here."

"I know, Rumple," Regina spat out. "Once we have the material?"

"Lake Nostros," Rumplestiltskin clapped with glee.

Regina nodded, understanding her mission. She looked over at her son whose eyes were on the blonde next to her. Regina sucked in a breath before losing her focus on the mirror causing the image to glimmer.

"Regina?" Emma asked gently, her hand on the older woman's knee. "You're losing them…"

Regina swallowed concentrating on the mirror before looking at her son who was with David, the man's protective hand on his shoulder. She smiled, swallowing her tears, "I'll be home soon, Henry."

Henry said nothing, his eyes wary of his mother and Regina nodded and let Emma complete the -goodbyes. She dropped the mirror, not caring whether the glass smashed or not. Her son hated her, and she knew she deserved it.

Emma stood again, smashing the mirror with a hard stamp of her foot before looking into dark eyes which still had anger dancing in them, dancing with hurt. Regina glanced down at the shattered glass before looking back up at the younger woman.

"You said your mother tracks magic," Emma offered as an explanation. "So we should go?"

Regina nodded, still rooted to her spot on the small bed, seeing her son no longer being her son.

"He still loves you," Emma repeated, realising that the brunette had not been listening to her. Dark eyes turned to her and their owner laughed bitterly.

"No, my dear, he loves you… I have no purpose in his world other than to return you to him…"

Emma sighed before approaching the older woman, standing before her, "You made him think he was crazy when he was talking about the curse and fairy tales… he thought that he had gone crazy and that is on you Regina… you're also the evil queen. He's read the book, he knows what you've done…"

Regina growled, "I know. You don't need to tell me how bad a mother I am again…"

She went to stand but strong hands pushed her back on the bed. She glared as she looked up and did not attempt to erase her rage as Emma crouched down, balancing on her toes as she forced the brunette to make eye contact. She pushed forward again only for the taller woman to grab both her upper arms with strong hands. She looked up and saw many emotions flicker in the green eyes and stopped struggling.

"I gave him up," Emma whispered. "I gave him away… that is on me!"

Emma closed her eyes, exhaling quietly before repeating, "I gave him up. You didn't. You continued to be his mother even though he hated you and feared you… you never gave him up. I did."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Emma stood up and laughed without feeling before looking down at the older woman seeing confusion swimming in her brown eyes and clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, "Because…"

She growled as she bent low and grabbed dark tresses in clenched fists, pulling the older woman close, kissing her hard. She pushed her lips hard against soft lips, pleading for entry with her tongue and once granted, exploring with an unquenchable thirst. She felt Regina's tongue duel with her own, fighting to win yet another battle while fingers gripped her hips hard, their tips marking her skin through clothing. She could feel a rapid heartbeat pound alongside her own and groaned as she leaned further into the kiss, not caring that she needed air.

Regina felt the groan vibrate between her teeth, and swallowed it before opening her eyes and realising what she was doing. Her fingers on slender hips, once pulling them in, were now pushing them away as she tore her lips from the younger woman, breathing heavily.

"My mother will be here soon," Regina uttered, trying desperately to steady her breath. "We need to start moving."

Emma nodded, wishing she could calm her heartbeat, "Where are we going?"

"Back to the wardrobe… we need the ashes," Regina struggled to get her words out. She took a deep breath. "My mother will track us here, so we need to go now…"

She jumped when she felt Emma's hand on her upper arm and looked up into panicked eyes, "It's a half day ride."

"I-I-I don't know why I did-"

"Miss Swan, we need to leave now," Regina commanded, authority lacing her voice.

Emma nodded, swallowing her hurt and confusion, and followed the older woman to the horses.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Again, many thanks for those new follows and favourites and reviews. I hope that you continue to like the story. Please let me know what you think**

**Chapter 8 Arrows**

Emma's inside thighs were aching from bruises deep inside her skin. As much as she had grown to like riding the chestnut mare who she gave the name, Horsey, she had not grown to like the roughness the saddle had against her skin despite the layer of clothing. She looked ahead and saw that Regina was still showing no sign of slowing down on the stallion. The older woman had mounted and spurred the animal into a speed that would pose a challenge to car racers, not once looking at the blonde, not once easing up on the animal. Emma knew that not only was Regina desperately chasing an escape from this world, but she was also fleeing her and their kiss. She did not know what possessed her to grab the brunette by her locks, and kiss her with such need, but she did know that she couldn't think too much about it. She couldn't analyse it, think about it, dream about it; she could only forget it or she would most certainly go mad.

She felt the horse lag beneath her, and knew that they would have to stop. She called out to Regina but the other woman continued to race ahead. She tried to keep up the pace but she had a tiring horse and painful thighs against her so she had no choice but to allow the animal to stop. She groaned in pain as she slid free from the saddle, landing on the soft ground with a light thud. She sat down, hugged her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on her forearms. She winced as the movement reminded her of her pain before resting her eyes on the dust trail left behind by the stallion. She trusted that Regina would notice she was no longer behind her. She trusted that Regina would return to her when she realised this. She still trusted this an hour later, when she was watching nothing but an empty path.

It was when the sun became cooler, hiding behind clouds, preparing to settle for an evening rest that Emma began to be afraid. She stood up, groaning as her spine straightened. She stamped her feet on the ground, willing circulation back into them. She looked over at the rested mare and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, we're screwed," Emma admitted as she reached her hand over, gently stroking the animal's nose. She smiled weakly when the horse nickered, content with the affection. Emma leaned in closer, resting against the beast's side, fighting the tears that threatened to fall, "Fuck her!"

The horse neighed slightly at the outburst and turned her head to the blonde and Emma chuckled without feeling, "Don't look at me like that. She's the evil queen! She kills- I mean why did I think- I am a fool. A God-damned fool! I should have- I should have left that dementor thing take her but Henry would have- Doesn't matter now- She's got her ashes. Fuck! She's back in Storybrooke now! And I am here in the middle of the forest which has freakin' ogres, giant mother-effin ugly ogres!- talking to a horse…"

Emma breathed out loudly, pushing back her tears with dirty hands, looking up at the darkening skies, before glancing back at the horse, "We can't stay out here tonight."

She mounted the horse slowly, before bending low, grabbing the reins tightly, almost hugging the animal, her only friend in this strange and horrific world, "Please take me home, Horsey! Please just take me home."

She did not need to spur the horse, nor did she need to guide the reins for the animal moved by herself. She raced at a mighty speed, ignoring the small twigs that beat against her strong body, adeptly leaping over barriers of fallen trees, guiding her rider to the unknown. Emma closed her eyes, trusting her horse, remembering Regina's advice briefly. 'Trust your horse and your horse will trust you.' The horse pulled to a sudden stop, neighing loudly as she threatened to rear. Emma sat up straight pulling the reins tightly.

"Whoa! Horsey, stop!"

The horse continued to move uneasily, side to side, as Emma looked around. They had not travelled for long but the night sky was fast looming, "We can't stay here."

The horse neighed again, rearing slightly before turning in a circle and returning to her uneasy side to side. Emma narrowed her eyes, and felt a shiver run down her spine. She dismounted quietly, and pulled the dagger free from its sheath, holding it high in her left hand while her right hand reached before her, acting as a shield. She looked around her, breathing in controlled silent breaths, and waited for whatever was to come. She could see nothing but trees and dirt paths, and went to lower her weapon. It shone as she pulled it before her, the rays of a sinking sun hitting it once and then it lit up, shining a beam down the long path before her.

"Holy shit," Emma mumbled as she wielded the dagger before her, watching as the blade shimmered, watching it cast its shine onto the path, behind the trees, pleading for her to follow it. She did, ignoring her earlier fears, suddenly feeling strong with the magic in her hand. She crept between the tall, ancient trees, deeper into the forest, the blade becoming stronger in its light. She reached an opening, a perfect circle surrounded by lofty trees and shaded by overbearing branches. In its centre lay the remains of a fire encircled by sitting rocks. Emma knelt down, touching the ashes and feeling their warmth, before looking around for an attacker only to see a body wedged between two of the trees. She gasped, almost dropping the dagger as she ran to the large, dead animal, running her hands along the smooth black skin, feeling a rapid cooling under her fingertips. She almost screamed as her fingers touched an oozing, dark crimson liquid. She lifted the dagger high, seeing the horse's dead eye staring up at her, its mane soaked in its own blood and an arrow protruding from its neck.

"Regina?" Emma hissed out, her eyes searching through the darkening woods rapidly, only to hear nothing but silence and see nothing but darkness. She looked at the dagger in her hand, its gleam dimming. "Regina?"

The knife no longer shined, plunging the blonde in darkness. She moved forward over the body of the stallion, wincing as torn branches shredded her shirt, cutting her arms. "Regina?"

Her voice slightly louder, yet a tremble danced in it. She turned, using the moon to guide her. She tightened her grip on the dagger, frustrated with its teasing power.

She moved back into the circle, eyeing the ashes on the ground before looking in the opposite direction of the stallion's body. She stepped forward and heard the whimper.

"Oh fuck," she whispered as she ran to the limp body of the brunette, tripping slightly on a rock, ignoring the pain it lashed on her. She dropped to her knees next to Regina, her hand on the older woman's leg. "Regina?"

The brunette opened her eyes and smirked slightly, "Miss Swan?"

"What happened?" Emma asked as she fought to assess the other woman in darkness.

Regina shook her head and coughed slightly, wincing as she did.

The taller woman returned the dagger to its sheath and dragged the smaller woman back into the moonlight. Regina screamed loudly as she felt strong hands under her shoulders pulling her over broken twigs and loose stones. Emma laid the woman down gently as she finally laid eyes on injuries. The white shirt, that Regina had made her own for two days, was no longer white, but black from dirt and red from blood. To the left of her heart a tip of an arrow was buried, its broken wooden shaft gripped in Regina's dirty fist.

"Oh fuck," Emma uttered as she again dropped to her knees. "What do I do Regina?"

"Ashes," Regina mumbled, ignoring her pain. "Portal."

"Yeah," Emma answered, ignoring the older woman. "We need to get you to a doctor."

Regina chuckled as she took another ragged breath, "And tell me, Miss Swan, where do you propose to find a doctor?"

"Teach me to heal you…" Emma begged. "Just stop being Evil Queen and Mayor Mills for a moment and teach me to heal you."

Emma looked up and saw brown eyes closed, and breathing slowing. She shook the woman hard, "Don't you fuckin' dare! This is all your fault. Everything is- You do not get to die on me!"

Regina opened her eyes, and grabbed the younger woman's hand, "You shouldn't have kissed me-"

Emma laughed harshly, before caressing the pale woman's cheek, her thumb wiping away drying tears, "You should have stopped…"

"I did," Regina argued and rasped as her lungs filled again. "I think it's stopped bleeding."

Emma looked down at the arrow in her chest and cried. Regina frowned at the frightened woman. "Another thing I miss about Storybrooke?"

"Ambulances," Emma answered before smiling at the older woman's soft smile. "Now teach me to heal you."

"Not here," Regina whispered. "My horse? They killed my horse."

Emma nodded, "Can you stand?"

Regina nodded slightly, lifting her hand to meet the one caressing her cheek. She pulled it away, weak in her strength. She sucked in another breath before meeting green eyes with her own, "Em-"

Emma helped the older woman to her feet, catching her as she slumped against her and cried in pain. Emma lifted the woman in her arms, struggling to straighten her knees for a slight moment before carrying her back to the path where she prayed her horse was waiting. She felt slow breaths against her neck and coldness against her chest as the blood of the injured woman seeped through her shirt. She chanced a look at the older woman and saw that she no longer held consciousness, and in that moment Emma was terrified.

Emma reached the horse and gently placed Regina on her back, before stroking the horse with a gentle hand and whispering with a broken voice, "You need to bring us home."

It was breaking dawn when the horse had reached Graham's cottage and Emma sighed in relief, thanking the Gods, the horse and everything else that played a part in getting them there. Regina's breathing had slowed and her heart was beating a mournful drumbeat. She lifted the older woman carefully and took her inside the cottage, laying her gently on the kitchen table. She ripped open the shirt, and saw dried blood painted across olive skin with an ugly wound at its core. The tip causing the wound to be shaded in purple, blue and black and Emma knew she needed to take it out. She closed her eyes as she freed her dagger. She took a deep breath before focusing on the arrowhead, using and cut into the wound with the knife.

Regina woke to the warmth of the afternoon on her bare skin. She closed her eyes again, taking a deep breath before opening her eyes and seeing blue skies. She turned her head and saw that she was in Graham's cottage. She lay in confusion, before remembering an arrow near her heart. She lifted the blanket and saw clean strips of material wrapped around her chest, bandaging her wound. She also saw that she naked except for a cotton pair of loose shorts and felt a blush in her skin. She sat up and was surprised by the lack of pain, and saw a pitcher of fresh water on the table next to her. She was pouring water into the cup when she heard the door open. She looked up and saw Emma step through with a dead rabbit in her hand and a small sword in the other. She watched as the blonde dropped the body onto the table, resting the sword next to it before turning her attention to the fire, mumbling as she rubbed wood against straw.

"How long have I been asleep?" Regina asked, her voice hoarse and low.

Emma dropped the stick and turned to her with a grin adorning her face, "You're awake."

"Your intelligence knows no bounds," Regina quipped, a smirk on her lips.

Emma chuckled, "Nine days… you've been asleep for nine days."

Regina's eyes widened and she struggled to form words so Emma moved closer to the bed, sitting on the edge of it and continued speaking, "Do you remember what happened?"

"Yes," Regina offered, her hand went to the front of her bandages. "I was shot with an arrow… how did you heal me?"

"This healed you," Emma answered, lifting her dagger from her waistband. "You were dying, and I needed to get the arrowhead out of you so I cut it out… and the knife. I don't know, but it stopped you from bleeding, cauterised you, it just healed you."

Regina studied the blade for a moment before nodding, "Thank you."

Emma leaned forward, raising the brunette's chin with the fingertips of her right hand, and looked into hesitant brown eyes, "Did the evil queen just thank me?"

Regina smiled and nodded, "Don't worry Miss Swan, I don't plan to make a habit of it."

Silence fell upon them and they edged closer before Emma jumped up, "Food. You need to eat. While you were being all sleeping beauty, I have been hunter-gatherer and expert fire lighter."

Regina watched as Emma returned to lighting the fire which took a short while, before skinning the rabbit and attaching it onto a spit. She put the meat on to cook over the flames before turning to the brunette. "I couldn't find the castle… I keep asking Horsey to take me home and she keeps bringing me here."

"You named your horse, Horsey?"

Emma laughed and nodded, "Bet you're glad I didn't name Henry..."

The mood sobered at the mention of the son they both desperately missed. Emma sat on one of the armchairs, and reached forward to turn the spit. "I wanted to get the ashes for when you woke up but I don't know my way around here. I am so useless in this world, I can see why you left me behind."

"I didn't leave you-"

Regina's quiet interruption went ignored by the blonde who continued to speak, "But I found weapons. I have been practising with that sword over there." Emma gestured to the short sword on the table behind her. "It's nothing like David's but it's jabby."

"Jabby?" Regina asked with an arched eyebrow.

Emma turned to her, "I figure I could kill a dragon again."

Regina smirked, "I'm sure you could dear. Emma, I didn't-"

"You're awake now so once you're strong we can find the castle. You do the magic and I do the fighting."

Regina nodded, before pulling the sheet around her body, "Can you bring me a shirt?"

Emma stood quickly and reached inside the wardrobe pulling out a long, grey tunic which was cotton in material, loose in fitting and boasted a v neck shape and loose strings to tie it up. Regina tenderly pulled the material over her head, and ignored the strings. It fitted her like a nightgown, barely touching her skin as it dropped to her knees. She stood, stiff from the long sleep but felt no pain. She raised her fingers tips to her chest, pressing where the arrow once lived and felt nothing.

Emma watched her as she raised herself from the bed, holding a breath as the woman turned to her before venturing, "Do you remember what happened?"

"The arrow?" Regina asked, her hand still on her chest. "No"

"Regina?" Emma asked, stepping closer to the brunette.

"The rabbit will burn," Regina gestured to the fire as she sat down, tucking her legs beneath her.

"Shit," Emma cursed as she pulled the spit off the flames, swearing louder as it threatened to burn her hand. She wrapped the sleeve of her shirt around her hand as she picked the spit up again and brought it over to the kitchen table, cutting the meat from it before placing it on a plate with bread. She passed it to Regina, "It won't win me awards, but it's food."

Regina nodded and ate slowly as Emma prepared her own meal, "We should leave in the morning for the castle."

Emma nodded in agreement, "We'll be sharing a horse."

Regina lowered her head as she silently mourned her stallion before nodding and silence fell upon them again. Regina watched the blonde who was watching the fire. The younger woman appeared older, not in appearance but in attitude, her long hair falling down her back in loose curls, her black shirt unbuttoned all the way down, underneath a white tank top that had obviously been washed, her trousers ripped at the knees, showing toned pale legs. Regina stood and moved to stand before the blonde. Emma looked up at her, curiosity in her eyes.

Emma leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the brunette's waist before resting the side of her face against the waiting flat stomach. Regina gasped at the embrace but made no moves to encourage it. She stood straight, her arms limp by her side as she stared down at the top of the blonde's head, resting just below her breasts. They stayed like that for a moment maybe more, before Emma let go and sat back. She looked up and saw nothing in Regina's face and sighed, "I should check on the horse."

Regina watched her leave the cottage before letting tears fall from her eyes. She clenched her fists tightly before swallowing painfully and willed the hammering of her heart to cease. She saw the dagger on the bed where Emma had left it and sighed, picking it up. She looked through the window where the tall woman was brushing the horse down. She looked back at the dagger, releasing it from its sheath and studied it for a mere second before replacing it. She smiled gently before looking back at the blonde who was in deep conversation with the animal.

"Oh Emma," she whispered to the silence of the room.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Again, thank you for the favourites, follows and reviews. This chapter has a lot going on in it so hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think.**

**Chapter Nine: Ashes**

When Emma had woken, the brunette was already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed, her back bare, and her smooth olive skin appearing to shine in the early sunlight. Emma wanted to move closer but could hear quiet sobs from the other woman so lay down feigning sleep. She knew that Regina was studying the healing wound, marking her smooth skin with its ugliness. She felt the weight shift and opened her eyes again to see that the older woman had wrapped the bandages around her again but trembling fingers couldn't fasten it. Emma sat up, leaning forward, stopping the trembling fingers with warm hands. She looked up and saw redness in the dark eyes before looking down at the bandage and tying it to place.

"It'll heal," Emma promised before sitting back and watching as Regina pulled the grey tunic back over her head. Regina pulled a pair of pants from the wardrobe, black and coarse in its material and pulled them on over the cotton shorts. She ran her fingers through her short hair, smoothing out the brown tresses, sighing at her lack of styling products. She looked up at Emma who was sitting in only her underwear and a tank top and arched an eyebrow.

"I don't look quite like the mayor now, do I?"

Emma smiled warmly and nodded, "No, but you can pull off kickass forest magic queen with style."

Regina laughed softly, "You have never seen the magic queen look."

"Maybe I will one day," Emma flirted, forgetting everything but this very moment and instantly realising that to be an error when she saw Regina's face drop. "Oh shit," she mumbled as she saw the woman step away from the bedroom space and into the kitchen.

Emma dressed quickly, leather pants and black shirt over her tank. She glanced at her clean red leather jacket and smiled, pulling off the black shirt and replacing it with the jacket.

"When in doubt, Swan, go with what you know," she told herself before stepping outside to find Regina stroking the horse, the gentle breeze toying with dark tresses. The brunette looked over and almost rolled her eyes at the jacket to which Emma could only smile.

"We should go," Regina stated and Emma nodded, and waited for the other woman to take control of the horse. Regina smiled before shaking her head, "She's your horse. She trusts you."

"So you're backseat driver?" Emma said as she mounted the horse and held out her hand to pull the smaller woman up. Regina slid behind her with ease and wrapped her hands around Emma's waist. She closed her eyes as she felt Emma turn the horse, tightening her grip as the sun warmed her back, and the gentle breeze bathed her face. She was instantly taken back to when she was barely a woman, seated behind Daniel, holding onto him, hearing him talk as she laughed, their horse taking them over the hills.

"Regina?"

Regina shook her head, freeing her head of one of the few happy memories she has, "What?"

"You're a terrible backseat driver," Emma chuckled. "Where are we going?"

"South, through the forest…"

Emma nodded, feeling the older woman lean closer to her back, encircling her tighter with slender arms, and steered the horse onto the right path, spurring her into speed. Neither woman spoke as the mare cantered, kicking up dirt from the ground, before picking up pace to jump over fallen trees. Emma stroked the mare gently on the neck after each jump, praising the horse's natural gait but still missing that yellow bug, parked aimlessly outside the hospital in Storybrooke. She could remember leaving the prison, seeing the car waiting for her, empty and locked but waiting for her. She remembered the tears that she wept when she sat behind the wheel, mourning her son and the family she should have had as both an adult and a child.

"Emma?"

The voice was soft and the blonde almost ignored it. She turned slightly, and Regina smiled with concern in her brown eyes, "You're crying."

"Oh, God!" Emma blushed, furious with herself for remembering something she had pushed away a decade earlier.

Regina slowed the horse to a halt as Emma wiped away the tears with the sleeves of her jacket. She slid off and pulled the knapsack from the saddle, opening the canteen of water. She drank away her thirst, her eyes still watching the younger woman. Emma saw the look on her once nemesis face and laughed harshly, before taking the offered canteen.

"It's stupid," Emma shook her head. "I was just thinking- I miss my car."

Regina raised both her eyebrows before she burst into laughter, genuine laughter. She felt it tremor through her chest as she lifted her hand to cover her mouth. Emma glared at her which only encouraged her to laugh harder.

"Are you serious? You miss that death trap."

Emma shrugged, a sheepish smile adorning her face.

Regina shook her head before looking down the path, "We should reach there by-"

"I stole it," Emma interrupted, before shutting her eyes and scolding herself internally.

"What?" Regina asked in confusion.

"I stole the bug," Emma explained. "Actually, it was already stolen. I re-stole it."

"Eh-"

"From Neal. He stole it first."

"Hu-"

"He is Henry's dad. I met him by stealing the car he had already stolen."

"Why are you telling me this Miss Swan?"

Emma saw the older woman's lips tightened, her brow crease and her dark eyes harden. She sighed, "I don't know."

"We should get moving," Regina ordered. Emma offered her hand to help pull her back onto the horse, which the brunette promptly ignored, using the stirrups and saddle instead. Emma swallowed, not understanding the change in the older woman's mood. She wanted to speak again but the horse's sudden canter prevented her as she concentrated on the reins.

"I can't believe that the great Saviour, the daughter of the reverent Snow White, is a thief," Regina muttered after a long silence.

Emma rolled her eyes and smirked, "That makes you happy, doesn't it?"

Regina breathed in the scent of leather and tightened her grip on the taller woman's waist before nodding, "Yes."

Emma laughed before the two women fell in a comfortable silence as their mare expertly wove her way through the woods, seeing the once glorious palace on the horizon. The building was a soft beige colour, its turrets standing tall and proud on each corner, two tall towers piercing through the red slated roof. The blonde imagined that with glass in the empty windows, full flags of colour hanging from long poles, and filled with life, that the castle would be truly majestic. She felt Regina press her forehead against her back, and slowed the horse down as they crossed through a village of ruins filled flattened homes, destroyed livelihoods and emptiness; its inhabitants either dead, gone or trapped in a small town in Maine.

Regina shut her eyes as the blonde purposely slowed down the animal, silently asking her to look at the consequence of her curse yet she refused to her, squeezing her eyes tighter. She had only visited a village once since their arrival, its location safely inside the shield of her mother's and it was bustling with life, its people left behind and continuing life in frozen time and forgotten confusion. She had known some people had braved returning to try and live amongst ruined forests and destructive ogres; she knew this because Emma stole or in her words, borrowed food from them when she was unsuccessful hunting; she knew this because someone had killed her stallion and left her with an arrow near her heart. But this was the first time she saw what was once her home, bustling with life, once happy under their King, filled with fear under her reign, and then rewarded with hope under their new, fair Queen only for her to wipe them out for vengeance.

Emma stopped the horse, and leaned forward causing Regina to open her eyes, and seeing red leather and blonde locks, "Emma?"

"This was you."

It wasn't a question, nor was it an angry statement, just a simple fact. The former queen nodded despite the blonde not seeing her. She turned and saw the rotting wood of what was once a rocking horse and sucked in a breath. Emma heard her and turned to look at her, she recognised a myriad of emotions warring in brown eyes, and smiled sadly as she recognised one: acceptance. Regina nodded again knowing the younger woman was watching her closely.

"We need to get to those ashes," Regina said, her eyes moving back to the destroyed rocking horse.

Emma clicked her tongue, nudging the mare gently along the roads, under the castle arch and into the palace's courtyard. The women dismounted quietly, stretching their limbs before climbing the stone steps into the large hallway. They moved quickly through the quiet corridors reaching the nursery.

"No, no, no!" Regina shouted as she fell to her knees, her fingers scrabbling at the wooden floor. Emma fell back against the wall, understanding Regina's panic. There was not a single trace of the wardrobe or its ashes.

"It's gone. It's all gone!" Regina yelled before turning to the blonde and saw rage dancing in green eyes.

Emma kicked the crib with force, not caring that it smashed to pieces, splinters of wood flying through the air. She grabbed the rocking horse and threw it out the window, screaming as she did so, before pulling her sword out and swinging it blindly, smashing threw every piece of furniture that it hit, ignoring Regina's pleas for her to stop. When there was nothing left for her to smash, she threw the sword, hearing the loud clang it made as it hit the stone wall. She stood in the centre of the room, breathing heavily, cheeks flushed, hair wild, eyes angry before settling her gaze on the spot where the wardrobe once was. Regina was kneeling next to it, her arm above her head, shielding herself from flying wood and scattering furniture.

"She has it, doesn't she?" Emma asked.

"By she, I presume you mean me."

Both women turned to the lilting voice and saw Cora standing there, her dress of black silk and nets wide at the skirts, low at the cleavage and high at the collar, a cruel smile adorning her face, sparkles in her dark eyes and a vial of ashes in her hand.

"Looking for this?"

"You fuckin' bitch!" Emma ran towards the witch, sword raised and anger lacing her words. Cora cackled as she raised her hand, tossing the young woman with ease against the wall.

"You know? For a princess, you are severely lacking in grace and manners," Cora jested before turning her smile to her daughter. "More so than you my dear. Miss me?"

Emma scrabbled to her feet, only to be pushed back to the wall, frozen there by a simple raise of the hand while Regina stood up slowly.

"Mother," Regina spoke softly. "I need those ashes."

Cora laughed, "I know you do. I had thought you would have come sooner for them or better still, had taken them the first time."

"I've been indisposed until now," Regina moved closer, her eyes flashing to the vial before returning to her mother's brown eyes.

"Ah yes, an arrow which conveniently missed your heart."

Regina's eyes narrowed and Cora smiled widely, "It wasn't me."

"Of course it wasn't. You wouldn't have missed."

"Precisely," Cora grinned as her daughter stopped before her, inches between them. "You are difficult to locate. You've learned well. But her…"

Both women cast their eyes to the blonde who struggled against the invisible bounds and gag enforced upon her, determination alight in green eyes.

"She uses magic foolishly."

"The dagger," Regina gasped under her breath, seeing the glint of its hilt in the younger woman's waistband.

"I wanted to apologise. I was harsh when we last spoke-"

"Then give me the ashes," Regina spoke calmly.

Cora smiled and stepped back slightly, tucking the vial deep into her skirts, "Take me with you. We can help each other."

"Help each other do what?"

"I never knew that you still loved me," Cora whispered gently. "I had thought after you banished me and then sent Hook to kill me that these were acts out of hatred, but I realised that it was out of love."

"Why didn't you tell me you weren't-"

"Dead? Because you needed your curse and I needed to give you something you wanted for once in your life."

"And now?"

"Now, you've come back and we have the chance to do what we were always meant to do."

"And what is that, Mother?" Regina asked, but she knew the answer.

Cora chuckled, "What happens to you when you return to the other world? Are you to be welcomed with open arms and forgiven for all your crimes? Will you find friendship in Snow and her annoying little posse of good-doers? Will your son tell you he loves you?"

Emma stood, released from the magic as Cora was further imprisoned in it. Regina was squeezing the binds tighter as her mother had done to her as a child, yet the older woman refused to show pain.

"Or will they just execute you as they should have done the first time?"

Regina struggled with the magic as she felt truth in her mother's words and Cora smiled softly at the weakness.

"And will your son weep at your coffin as you did mine?"

Regina felt the tears spring to her eyes as the words coursed through her minds, the magic weakening in her hands.

"Regina, my darling, I won't let anyone hurt you. I will help you become strong again, powerful again and I will get your son back to you."

Regina furrowed her brow before looking over at Emma who was raising her sword, anger in her face. "Take the ashes. I will hold her."

Emma stepped forward and used her sword to cut open the skirts, catching the vial as it fell loose with her free hand. She kept her gaze on the older woman who simply smirked at her actions with bemusement, "Tell me, Princess. How do you know that when you sleep tonight that my daughter will not simply leave you alone while absconding with the ashes and that beautiful compass in your pocket?"

Emma frowned as she reassured herself that the compass was still in her pocket, "I don't"

"You trust her?" Cora was surprised. "You trust the woman that ruined your parents' lives and took away your childhood?"

"Emma. I can keep the bind in place for a short time. We need to go."

The blonde looked at Regina, whose right hand was raised casting the magic in question before looking back at their prisoner, "I do."

She ran ahead, as the brunette tightened her magic on her mother. She mounted her mare, tucking the vial into the inside pocket of her jacket. She leaned forward and whispered into the horse's ear, "Do you know where this lake nostros is?"

The horse neighed softly, and almost shook his head. Emma looked back at the door to see Regina emerge, pain etched tightly across her face and surprise in her eyes as she sees Emma holding out a hand to pull her onto the horse.

"Hyah!" Emma kicked the horse into a gallop, feeling her heart beat loudly in her chest, wind beating against her face and arms tightening around her waist.

Other than the sound of the hooves hitting the rough dirt path, and the odd gust sweeping through leaves, there was complete silence. Regina frowned, shaking her head slightly as she peered between trees seeing nothing. She felt the horse turn a bend, and knowing that it had been an hour since they had stopped last, and nothing changed: the trees still tall and sturdy, the path still dirt and dust, the silence still present, and the same branch still to be leapt over by the mare. Regina widened her eyes and almost fell from the horse.

"Emma! Stop!"

Emma pulled the horse to a halt, turning to face the brunette only for the older woman to slide of the horse and walk to the branch they had just cleared. Emma climbed down, following the former queen who turned to her, face pale and eyes wide with alarm.

"Regi-?"

"I should have known… my mother. She's found us," Regina's tone was desperate. "She-she-she just won't let me go!"

"Regina," Emma shouted, upsetting the nearby mare. "You're making no sense."

"We're trapped!" Regina screamed. "This is the infinite forest. We jumped over that branch four times in the last hour. We are stuck in a loop and I don't know how to-"

Emma looked at the branch, realising the truth in what the older woman was saying. "Fuck, how is that even possible?"

Regina spread her arms willing magic to come and fill her; her palms faced the sky as small sparks of purple electricity danced on her fingertips. She lifted her hands and pushed the electric sparks into the woods only to have them disappear with a small fizzle. The horse reared at the crash of magic against the silence of the forest.

"Regina! What the fuck?" Emma yelled as she tried to catch the frightened animal.

Regina ignored her as she pulled in more magic from the earth, pushing a storm of lightning into the woods only to vanish. The horse turned, running in the opposite direction, knocking Emma to the ground.

"No! No! No!"

Regina shouted as she attempted the act again and again, each attempt matched with frustrated screams. She ignored the blonde as she created balls of fire in her hands, casting them at the tall oaks, watching them only to deflect, and extinguish the flames. Emma's face could not hide its fear or its confusion as the powerful woman continued to throw flames, lightning and gales into the woods only for such magic to vanish. Emma stood and moved closer only for Regina to throw her back with a flick of her wrist. Regina pulled down clouds of black from above, her hands holding them just above her head, their darkness illuminated with small sparks of lightning, her eyes black with power, her cheeks stained with desperate tears, her lips tight with strain, her chest trembling with sobs and pain.

Emma pulled herself up from the ground, struggling to keep her balance as she tried to reach the screaming brunette who was turning nature onto nature in a vicious storm of wind and lightning. Leaves circled the air as if caught in a tornado, branches ripped from their trees flying through the air, trees bended with loud groans and the wind howled as it is forced to become larger, stronger and fiercer. Emma could barely see between the flying debris and darkening skies, her left arm shielding her face, her right guiding her through the magical storm. She grabbed the shaking brunette, engulfing tightly with strong arms wrapped around her shoulders, firm hands trapping trembling ones, causing loud sobs to burst from the former queen's lips. The storm ceased, the clouds faded, the skies became blue once more as Regina fell to her knees, sobs ripping through her as Emma held her close.

Her body rocked as each sob wracked through her. She felt the taller woman fall to her knees behind her. She felt herself being pulled back into Emma's chest, as desperate howls ripped through her body. She felt the younger woman wrap her arms around her, holding her tightly as she wept. She was afraid to face those green eyes of fear and gasped when Emma rested her chin on her shoulder, her lips close to her ears whispering words of comfort. She screamed to the sky, primitive screams of mourning and frustration as arms tightened around her chest. They remained kneeling in the dirt as violent sobs became silent tears.

"We will find a way out of here," Emma whispered the promise into Regina's ear. The brunette turned in the embrace, facing the younger woman seeing faith in her eyes. Emma reached out a finger pushing brown hair from the older woman's face tucking it behind her ear. The former queen whimpered at the touch and closed her eyes, before opening them again when Emma cradled her face with both hands, palms holding damp cheeks and thumbs wiping away tears.

Regina swallowed as she met green eyes and bit her lip as Emma leaned closer.

"Please don't," Regina whispered as she felt warm breath against her own lips. "Please."

"Please don't what?" Emma breathed out.

"Please don't forgive me."

Emma kneeled closer, straightening her back as she pressed her lips against the soft lips of the older woman, tentatively caressing them before running her tongue along the lower lip. Regina gasped at the touch and the younger woman dipped her tongue into the warmth, moaning at the taste before exploring the mouth with gentle curiosity and slow thirst. Regina took the blonde's face between her hands, pulling her closer as she deepened the kiss, swallowing the moans as she ran her tongue over lips, teeth and tongue. Emma lifted her hands, combing her fingers through soft, dark hair before grasping the locks in clenched fingers, urging her tongue to dance with the brunette's. They pulled back slightly, resting their foreheads against each other, breathing heavily before looking into each other eyes. Emma's loosened her grip on brown hair, letting her fingers revel the softness of the short hair while Regina dropped her hands from pale cheeks to leather clad thighs, resting them atop without any innuendo involved and looked down.

Emma urged the broken women to look up at her, a gentle hand caressing her tear stained cheek and seeing a mixture of emotions circle in dark eyes, she whispered, "I won't."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: Breaking the Loop**

Emma pushed back the branches, swearing as thorns caught her in the sides of her hands and tore at the bare skin on her shoulders. She looked behind her as she rubbed a deep scratch above her elbow, and could see the path barely, a small dark dot atop a dusty path. She stepped a few steps forward and could see the dusty path before her, a small dark dot. She looked behind her and saw that she trapped between two identical paths. She moved forward, hissing at another scratch and reached the path before her and looked back again, seeing just forests. She had went every possible direction and no matter which way she took, she always ended back here, on the dusty path with a branch fallen across it.

She swallowed the urge to scream her frustration and to throw a punch at the nearest tree, instead opting to sit down, using the fallen tree as a backrest. She watched the horse nicker slightly before continuing to graze. She looked up to see that the sun hadn't moved and realised not only were they trapped but so was time. She turned to see the sleeping brunette curled up against the branch, the red leather jacket acting as a pillow. The older woman had sobbed herself into exhaustion in Emma's arms, and so the younger woman had laid her down so gently and let the woman sleep a broken sleep. Emma lifted her knees and rested her elbows upon them, her face in her hands and watched as the former queen whimpered and flinched as she slept.

She had fought the internal battle of either wanting to kill the older woman out of blame or ask to be held by her out of blame. In Storybrooke, this sleeping woman would be in a jail cell, protected from the angry mobs with Emma as her guard, but in this land, she is still imprisoned, protected from her mother with Emma still as her guard. Emma laughed quietly when she realised this, and saw the older woman whimper yet again from whatever demons plagued her nightmare. She took out her dagger and twirled it on the ground, remembering the last time she used it, tearing the tip of the arrow out of the other woman's chest, before seeing it glow and stop the blood flowing and willing the heart to beat again. She saved the woman's life without thinking about it. She had ripped open the shirt, cried at the blood, and tried to pull out the arrow head with slippery fingers before pulling out the blade and using it as a prier, and through it all she didn't think she just acted. It wasn't until after she finished wrapping the bandages around the wound that she took a breath and whispered to herself that she had saved the evil queen's life as she had promised her son she would.

Regina yelped in her sleep, and Emma dropped the knife to crawl to her side, running her fingers through dark locks, smoothing them as she whispered into Regina's ear to wake up and that she was having a nightmare.

Brown eyes opened and met with the wood of the fallen tree, she turned quickly before remembering where she was and saw Emma sitting next to her. She closed her eyes against the sun as she pulled herself up into sitting position and leaned against the tree. She saw bloody scratches on pale arms and arched an eyebrow.

Her voice was husky from sleep, "What have you been wrestling Miss Swan?"

Emma frowned before looking at her arms and smiled, "Just never-ending trees. I tried to find a way out but kept coming back here."

Regina leaned forward, hovered her hand over the many scratches and healed each one with a soft, warm glow and watched as Emma moved over, sitting next to her. Neither mentioned the screams, the storm of magic or the kiss as they leaned back against the tree, watching the horse graze trying to figure out a plan of escape yet finding none.

The brunette spotted the blade still on the ground and reached for it, picking it up and blowing the dust from the hilt while her companion drank slowly from the canteen.

"I found no food or water so don't drink it all," she said as passed the water to Regina who took it and drank carefully.

"Thank you," the brunette murmured. "Time is trapped?"

Emma nodded, "Do you know how to break the loop without, you know, going evil again?"

Regina looked around as she searched her mind for spells and curses, "I casted this curse on someone… They-eh-I never cared to break it for them. As far as I understand, only the person who casts it can break it."

"So we just sit around, waiting for your mother to decide when she wants to have another special chat with her daughter?"

Regina flinched at the bitter comment which Emma chose to ignore as she continued, "She is asking you to choose between her and me, you know that?"

Regina nodded, "She is asking me to choose between her and Henry, not you Miss Swan. If I came back without you, my son will hate me even more than he does right now. You know that."

Emma nodded, "They tried to execute you?"

Regina smirked, "Your father did. Your mother saved me. Foolish woman still loved me…"

"And you loved her."

Regina laughed mirthlessly, "Sheriff Swan, I know you've had your head knocked around many times but trust me, I do not love your mother."

Emma grinned, "Sure you do. You would have just killed her if you didn't."

Regina was stunned at the comment but chose to ignore it, "I tried to have her killed once. Graham. I sent him to kill her but he couldn't do it."

"Did you try again?"

Regina shook her head, "I figured destroying her happiness as she had done mine would be more satisfactory."

"She was just a child."

"I know that!" Regina yelled. "I know that, Miss Swan."

Both women sat in silence, the older scraping at the road dust with the dagger, the younger leaning her head back onto the tree, contemplating the clearest sky she had ever seen.

"She grew up and still didn't see it," Regina's voice cracked as she spoke. "She didn't see it. No one did."

"See what?"

Regina rolled her eyes and stood up, stretching her spine, "I see that self-absorbed oblivious nature runs in the family."

Emma sighed and kicked the heel of her boot into the dust, "I am not self-absorbed!"

"Of course you are," Regina laughed, looking down at the woman. "You came to Storybrooke and ignored the fact that you were… you know what, we need to find a way out of here."

Emma watched as Regina did what she had done earlier, pushing through woods to find a way out of there trap. She pulled herself up and leaned against the tree, tucking the dagger back in her waistband before she crossed her arms at her chest. She turned left seeing the brunette push against branches, her grey tunic covered in dust and dirt before looking right to see her reappear, her fingers pushing her dark hair behind her ears, frustration adorning her face. She smirked as the brunette turned around seeing just forests again and retraced her steps before reappearing on the opposite side of the path.

Regina exhaled loudly as she returned to the path before looking at the blonde who wore a smirk.

"There must be a seam of some kind," seeing confusion on Emma's face, she rolled her eyes and continued. "A bubble, a ward… a spell like this is essentially a human version of a goldfish bowl. In order for the goldfish to be free, you need to break the glass. We need to find the glass to break it."

"You know that the goldfish dies when it's not in the bowl," Emma warned.

"If you want to stay in the bowl, I have no plan to stop you," Regina stated as she moved to go back in the forest.

"What am I looking for?" Emma skipped up behind her.

"Magic."

"Oh yeah, and how does one find magic?"

Regina looked back at the taller woman, "One feels it… so maybe you should just wait…"

Emma pulls out her dagger, "This baby will find us magic."

The brunette rolled her eyes before continuing to venture through the woods. She chanced a look at the blonde who was walking with the blade held out before her, her brow furrowed.

"Miss Swan…"

"Emma."

Regina nodded and smiled, "Emma, that dagger is not magical."

"Sure it is," Emma argued, glee dancing in her eyes. "It found you for me and it healed you. This dagger is magical."

Regina smirked, "Henry is very like you."

"Yeah?"

"His child-like wonder, yes. Though he is allowed because he is ten. What's your excuse?"

"Ha-ha. He is like you too."

Regina stopped, hissing as a thorn cut the fabric on the sleeve of her tunic, tearing her skin. She ignored the scratch as she met green eyes, "He is?"

"His stubborn nature."

"That's you, not me."

"His determination. That is definitely you. Gets his teeth into something, he needs to see it through. Operation Cobra-"

"Operation Cobra?"

Emma chuckled, "The code-name for the mission to break the curse. He never gave up. That he gets from you."

"I don't understand," Regina stuttered, and Emma stepped closer, lifting her hand up to push back some stray brown hair behind the older woman's ear.

"Once you decided that I was not welcome in Storybrooke you did everything you could to get rid of me. You never gave up. You're one determined lady," Emma smiled and her voice softened, "I run away. Neal ran away. You don't. Henry doesn't. He gets that from you."

"You told Henry his father was dead," Regina said after a long silence and watched the blonde nod. "But that's a lie. He ran away."

Emma nodded again but said nothing. She lifted the blade again pushing branches aside, seeing the path before them and behind them. Regina stopped her from stepping forward.

"We're at the seam."

"So now what?"

"We find the catch," Regina stated. "Where's your sword?"

Emma pointed to the rock by the path and growled when Regina arched an expectant eyebrow. "I'll get it, shall I?"

Regina watched the blonde run through the branches to grab the sword before disappearing from view. She frowned when she saw nothing but path and trees but relief came to her when she saw the horse moving down the path, Emma next to her whispering into her ear.

"You should give her a name," Regina announced when the blonde approach.

Emma grinned and looked back at the animal who was watching them from the path, almost guarding them. "I did. Horsey."

Regina shook her head, a smirk playing upon her lips and took the sword, "We may need to cut down a tree."

"These are oaks, giant friggin' oaks and you're going to cut them down with a sword?"

Regina grinned before spinning in a half-circle swinging the sword in a swift motion cutting a tall tree down with one single swipe. She stepped back, pushing Emma sideways as the tree hit the ground with a loud crash, rocking the earth beneath them for a moment. Emma covered her ears at the deafening crash, one hand clutching the dagger, the other holding her ear tightly as her eyes widened in awe.

"Whoa! How did you do that?"

Regina grinned widely, "Magic, my dear."

Emma chuckled as she followed Regina cut branches free, realising that the older woman was walking a very specific line.

"When he was very little, he asked me about his father. This was before he found out he was adopted," Regina said as she sliced another branch free from their path. "I told him that he had died."

Emma glanced over at the brunette, seeing sadness in dark eyes, flattened dark hair with tiny leaves embedded in it, tears on a stained grey shirt, the glimpse of dirty bandages. Emma reached forward, grabbing her companion's arm, turning her around, "I told him that his father was a fireman, who died rescuing a family because I couldn't tell him that his father doesn't even know he exists, or that he framed me and had me sent to jail."

"I thought you were a thief," Regina interrupted, looking up at her as Emma bowed her head.

Emma laughed bitterly and nodded, "I was, but it was him that had me sent to prison, and there I found out I was pregnant and… and I just couldn't tell him that. So I gave him a fireman, a hero because he likes heroes."

Regina smiled and spoke softly, "He does."

Emma nodded, "Did you know who he was when you adopted him? That he was mine and I was me?"

Regina shook her head, "No." She waited a beat before asking her question, "Why did you give him up?"

Emma laughed a single laugh, "I was 18. I was in jail. I had no money. I had no home. I had no family. I was alone. Pick a reason."

Emma saw doubt in brown eyes and shook her head, "You don't believe me?"

Regina smiled and shook her head, "No Miss Swan, I do not."

Regina turned back to their route slicing a large boulder in half without a sound from the metal weapon. "Do you regret giving him up?"

Emma nodded, "Yes."

Regina looked up at the sky, refusing to face the taller woman. She pushed the halves of boulders from their path with the tip of the sword.

"How did you get him? I mean, bad things happen to people who try to leave Storybrooke."

Regina smirked at the imitation of their son's warning before speaking, "I didn't get him. He was given to me by Rumple-"

She gasped before turning back to Emma, crashing into her, causing her to fall backwards, "He knew!"

"Knew what?" Emma grumbled as she studied her elbow that hit a stone in the fall.

"When the curse was breaking I asked him to hell me stop it but he refused to help because he wanted it to break… he knew that giving me Henry would lead you to us."

Emma shook her head in disbelief, "How is that even possible?"

"That little imp has a plan for everything," Regina barked. "He found Henry for me."

"Regina, I've seen a lot of crazy shit but this is ridiculous," Emma said, pulling herself off the ground. "You can't truly believe that he planned this-"

"Miss Swan, you do not know the power that is Rumplestiltskin," Regina sneered.

"He did not get me pregnant," Emma said with a grimace, before visibly shuddering at the image. He did not force me to sign the- oh fuck!"

Emma leaned back onto a tree, running her fingers through her hair as she struggled with the memory, her jaw slack, her eyes wide, her skin pale as realisation dawned upon her. "Oh fuck! The papers… His name was on the papers."

"Gold's name?"

"Yeah…" Emma furrowed her brow, desperately trying to understand her memory. "I remember seeing your name. You sign with a big round R and then there was a tiny squiggle. But underneath it was the lawyer's name-"

"Gold," Regina finished and saw Emma nod. "Emma, were you told to give him up?"

Emma swallowed a sob and shook her head, "I couldn't let him be put in care."

Regina stabbed the sword into the ground, leaning on it, itching to step closer to the blonde but was frozen.

"They said he would be placed in care straight away because I would still have four months left on my sentence. I begged them to let me have him," A sob slipped between her pink lips as she wiped away tears with dusty fists. "I couldn't let him have my life… be tossed from home to home; waiting for someone to love him… I couldn't do to him what my mother did to me."

"You didn't send him to another world," Regina husked. "And your mother wouldn't have done it if I hadn't-"

"She shouldn't have done it anyway!" Emma yelled. "She used me to save the world. I wasn't even born and she had already decided I was to go to another world!"

"You were born before she could-"

"Why are you, of all people, making excuses for her?"

Regina couldn't answer and didn't try to. The younger woman slid down, the tree scratching up her back as she wept, "They all played me."

Regina moved quickly, kneeling before her, "I love him. I loved him from the moment I laid eyes on it and his tiny hand gripped my finger."

Emma nodded, "He had a really strong grip."

Regina laughed, "He did. Still does."

Emma looked into the dark eyes, "I'm glad he went to you."

Regina took the younger woman's face in her hands pulling her in for a deep kiss. She pushed her fingers through the long, untidy golden locks, entangling them as ran her tongue over pink lips, begging to taste. Emma moaned, opening her mouth, feeling teeth clash against her own as their tongues fought for dominance. She pulled the smaller woman into her lap, running her fingers under the grey tunics, clawing her nails over the smooth skin of the lower back. Regina groaned loudly as she felt hands run over the bandages, ripping her mouth away from the kiss for air. Emma grabbed the older woman's neck with a hard hand, pulling her back to her lips, desperately searching every part of this woman's mouth with her tongue. She moaned as Regina pushed her back into the tree, expertly caressing her tongue with her own, pulling her shirt from her pants. Regina's lips went from mouth to jaw to neck to throat back to lips, desperately tasting skin as her hand delved into leather pants, pushing her fingers into wetness.

Emma hissed at the contact as she was pushed against the tree hard, the bark cutting through her vest. She pulled the older woman's shirt up, her hand hitting the bandage again. Regina's free hand caught it, desperately clawing at the material as she pushed her fingers deep into the blonde. The younger woman screamed loudly causing Regina to invade her mouth once more, catching her next scream as she thrust her fingers hard. Emma grabbed the bandages, ripping them free, not caring that each one of her tugs caused the woman to thrust harder. The bandages unravelled and pale hands took breasts capture, squeezing them hard before taking hard nipples, rolling them, tweaking them before running one hand down into Regina's pants.

The brunette slammed the blonde into the tree at the contact, pushing herself down onto the hand. Emma pulled her lips free from the assault, her head hitting the tree as lips attacked her neck, fingers thrusting into her, her pushing back into them. She saw black desire in Regina's eyes as she pushed forward, lying the woman down onto the ground hard, her fingers taking her roughly as she rocks into the hand which was consuming her.

Regina yelled as stones cut her back, fingers deep inside her, a hand on her breast. She looked up into green eyes, seeing wanton lust. She lifted her head, grabbing the other woman by her hair, pulling her into a kiss, matching her thrust with Emma's. She swallowed the blonde's moan as she felt her fingers become engulfed, her palm feeling a tremble, a body shake above her. She slowed her thrusting fingers as she slid her free hand from hair to neck to breast to waist, sliding under the black shirt, touching the smooth skin of stomach to chest to heart. She could feel the hammering of the younger woman's heart beneath the palm of her hand. She slowed the kiss, caressing the lips tenderly before gasping as Emma pushed deep inside her, her thumb caressing her intimately. Emma looked down, her own touches mirroring the gentleness of the other woman's as she moved her hand from breast to heart, feeling the ugly wound and then the pounding of the heart. Both women rode each other, taking each other to a high with a gentle thrust, their bodies trembled against each other, their moans swallowed in the other's mouth as their hearts matched each other's beat, felt beneath soft, tender hands.

Emma moved off the older woman, readjusting her shirt, wincing at the sores on her back while Regina lifted herself on an elbow, pulling the bandage free from beneath her shirt. She sat up, feeling a small hole in the tunic at the back of her shoulder, blood from the small cut caused by a stone. Both women caught each other's gaze before Emma leaned forward, brushing the leaves from the brunette's untidy hair.

"That was…"

"Yes," Regina smirked. "It was."

Regina stood up, straightening her clothes out and picked up the sword, turning back to clear the path.

Emma frowned, wincing as she stood up, confused at the action as she followed the former queen, silence once again blanketing them.

"Are you really?"

"Really?" Emma asked, almost missing the whispered question due to the rolling boulder.

"Glad that Henry came to me?"

Emma smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I am."

Regina stopped and turned around, studying the younger woman's face.

"Regina, you fight so hard for him. There and here. No one has ever done that for me. Hell, no one has ever done that for you. And the fight is going to be even harder when we get home but you're going to do it. You're going to fight for his forgiveness and his trust. So yes I am glad he went to the woman who fights for him."

Regina looked beyond Emma seeing the destruction she had caused with simple swipes of sword, her thoughts on her son before she frowned, cursing under her breath before looking back at the sheriff.

"If Rumplestiltskin had a plan for you and if he did set up the adoption, it can be assumed that he has a plan for Henry," Regina cautioned.

"What kind of plan?" Emma's voice trembled with ire.

"I honestly don't know but he manipulated me into casting his curse. He made it so you broke it. He had Henry come to me so you would follow. He sent the wraith after me…"

"Because you kidnapped the woman her loved."

"Yes," Regina concurred, the slightest tint of regret in her voice. "But I would not be surprised had he known you would follow…"

"If I had been one minute faster, neither of us would be here," Emma mumbled only for Regina to caress her cheek slightly.

"I am evil. I've done terrible things, but once I was pure like you and like Henry… I-I-I tried to," Regina sighed as she let go of the younger woman's face. "Rumple taught me magic. I was young and in mourning and he taught me everything I know… He twisted my grief and heartbreak to make me who I am today… He will do that to Henry."

Emma shook her head, "No… Henry is good."

"So was I!" Regina yelled.

"Henry is good," Emma's words trembled. "He is…"

"Alone. He is alone. Sure, he has your oh-so-good parents but he is alone. He has just learned that he was right about me, he had just come round from poisoning… his other mother, his hero is gone because of me… he is alone, frightened, confused, suffering from nightmares, and angry."

Regina slammed the sword down, its tip sinking into a branch as she threw her other hand in the air, magic in its tips from irritation, "He has no one that understands his pain and Rumple will… He has a plan for our son."

Emma frowned, "Regina? What are you saying?"

"He had a plan for me. He had a plan for you. He has a plan for Henry," Regina whispered, her words hard and enunciated perfectly, her eyes not leaving green eyes of concern.

"Fuck!" Emma asked. "Can you get us out of here already?"

"I'm trying…"

"Not hard enough," Emma snarled as she flung the dagger in her hand at the nearest tree, causing a bright light to emerge, blinding both women temporarily before causing darkness to fall upon them.

Emma blinked rapidly before looking up to see they were still in the forest but the night was gracing the skies. She looked over at Regina who sighed with relief.

"You did it," she stated as she turned to go back to the path. "You broke the loop."

Emma grinned as she took a deep breath, before walking to the tree pulling the dagger free from the bark, "Told you that it was a magic dagger."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: Understanding**

Regina threw the saddle onto the mare's back, tying the straps deftly as she whispered soothing words into the animal's twitching ear. She strapped the knapsack securely before finally attaching the sword, its blade neatly in the scabbard. The horse nickered as she nudged her gently before lifting her head to watch Emma gambol through the woods, twirling the dagger in her hand with a gleeful smile on her face. She placed the blade back into her waistband, wincing as the movement stretches the scratches on her back. Regina frowns and spins the taller woman round, and sees pieces of tree bark sticking out of the black shirt. She pulls out the splinters, smirking at the blonde's flinches and grumbles.

Emma turns around as she feels the warmth of magic against her skin and grabs the brunette's hand, halting her act. She smiles gently, "No magic healing… some scars are worth bearing."

Regina rolled her eyes, "We need to move. My mother will know we're free-"

An arrow whizzed past, hitting a tree, causing the mare to rear, causing Regina to fall back hard onto the ground, her hand snapping as it hit the large rock. Regina's scream echoed through the forest but before Emma could reach her another arrow flew through the air, embedding itself into the hind of the mare, making the animal to neigh loudly before galloping away.

Emma dropped to the ground and crawled towards the pale brunette who was clutching her broken hand. She swore as she grabbed the brunette's uninjured arm, dodging another arrow. She pulled the smaller woman to her as a volley of arrows soared over their heads.

"Use magic!" Emma pleaded.

"I can't," Regina explained as she clutched her broken hand to her chest, knowing a bone was piercing through the skin.

"Yes, you can," Emma yelled as another arrow hit the ground next to her.

Regina looked at her before raising her unbroken hand, only for an arrow to pierce through it, causing a scream to rip from deep inside her.

"Okay, I think her majesty has received the message," a voice pierce through the woods.

"Hook?" Emma asked as she stood up and saw the captain walk out of the trees, the moonlight causing his hook to glisten. He grinned before bowing with exaggeration.

"Missed me?"

"What the fuck are you doing?" Emma jumped to her feet, wielding her dagger before her.

"I'm asking these men to stop trying to kill their queen," Hook gloated. He looked back as leaves rustled and stones rolled, men climbing free from their hiding spots, bows in hand, dirty, torn clothing on their backs, weathered skin scarred and marked, and dead eyes resting upon the bleeding brunette. "Meet my new friends. They're from the Deep Forest… I met them after escaping from this giant. Did you know I was left behind at the mercy of a giant? Oh, of course you know. You did it."

"You talk too much," Emma interrupted as she dived forward with her blade only for Hook to catch it with his hook, locking her weapon and pulling it free from her hand. He nodded at the snarling men, the biggest of whom grabbed the taller blonde, his large hand wrapped around her throat tightly, and his other arm around his torso. Emma struggled against his strong grip, turning her face from his drooling lips, his spitting grunts, his stench only for him to squeeze her throat causing her to choke.

"And you are rude," Hook jeered as he walked up to her, tapping the man's wrist with his hook who loosened his grip, allowing the blonde to breathe. "As I was saying, after I escaped from the giant I found these guys, and we realised that we had a common interest… to find the queen."

Hook glanced down at the brunette and knelt before her, grinning at the pure ire in her brown eyes as she swallowed the pain which seared both hands, "And we did find her…"

"Stay away from her!" Emma yelled, pulling against the strength of her captor.

Hook smirked at the blonde before turning his attention back to the snarling brunette, "Oh, excuse my manners."

He grabbed one of her hands and snapped the shaft of the arrow, smiling as the woman screamed once again, before pulling the arrow out through the palm, turning it and studying the open wound, "You won't lose the hand. Lucky you."

"Why haven't you killed me already?"

Hook pulled the ties of the grey tunic loose and pressed the tip of the hook against the old wound next to her heart, "You know these men, don't you?"

Regina smirked as she used the wounded hand to push the bone back into the other hand, her lips tightening as she swallowed agony, before casting her dark eyes onto the captain, "I know that they never miss."

Hook laughed and moved forward, tapping his hook against the woman's heart, "And yet they did."

"What do you want?" Emma yelled, pushing against the strength, grimace lining her face. Regina flattened her injured hands against the ground, pain trembling beneath her skin as she pushed herself up.

"The compass…" Hook stated. "I have a crocodile to skin."

Emma shook her head as Regina raised her hand, blood oozing from the wound and pushed it inside the man's chest, only to frown.

"Oh, my heart!" Hook gasped before slipping his hook around her wrist. "I put it into safe keeping because it kind of stings with the hand and the squeezing… but now, pain-free."

Regina pulled out her hand, "My mother."

Hook shrugged, "Who else? Now, the compass please."

"Over my dead body," Regina declared, raising her hand, sparks of magic at her fingertips.

"Oh, Your Majesty. I'm not going to kill you," Hook laughed as he walked backwards, reaching the struggling blonde and brandished his hook yet again, creating a small tear in the front of the younger woman's vest. "Do you remember that spell you put onto my hook?"

Regina's eyes widened with horror as the metal pressed into pale skin, before shouting, "No!"

Green eyes met brown eyes and Emma shook her head, "Regina, please don't."

Regina raised her hand, blue streams spilling from her fingertips pulling the compass free from Emma's pocket, floating it into the air high above their heads, before dropping it on the ground before the brunette's feet. Regina glanced up at the blonde who only nodded sadly. She flicked her wrist, smashing the compass into smithereens with a single flash of lightning.

Hook dropped his weapon from Emma's beating heart and frowned, "Interesting."

He turned to his small army and lifted his chin, "We're done here."

Emma grabbed her throat once released, feeling bruising emerging while Regina glared at the captain, "It was a trick. You wouldn't have killed her."

Hook laughed as he turned back to the older woman, "Do you mind if I keep your army?"

Regina raised her hands, dark magic coursing through her, mixing with deep pain and fury, aimed at the man, casting him into the air, electrocuting him with strobes of lightning before engulfing him in a tornado of pain, sneering at his screams.

"Regina! Stop!" Emma yelled as she kicked back at her captor, her boot connecting with his shin hard making him loosen his hold on her.

Regina heard the shouted pleas but continued to inflict pain with anguished cries, that only strong hands on her shoulders stopped her. Magic crackled from her fingertips as she dropped Hook to the ground, rage darkened her eyes. Hook winced as he felt aches coarse through his body. He stood up and glared at the powerful woman.

"That was a really stupid thing to do."

"Leave now, or I'll kill you myself," Emma barked, menace in her tone and her dagger back in her hand.

Hook shrugged, "You should have just trusted me."

Hook disappeared in a puff of magic, leaving two broken women and a group of confused men who turned their attention onto their queen. They lumbered towards her, bows raised and arrows ready.

"Regina?" Emma murmured as they were slowly surrounded. "Got a plan for these guys?"

Regina clicked her fingers, wincing at the pain and commanded quietly, "Sleep."

Each man crashed to the ground, falling into deep slumber.

Emma turned the older woman to her, and lifted both injured hands gently, studying them both in the moon light, "We need to get you to a doctor."

Regina looked up, "Really Miss Swan, haven't you learnt nothing yet? We're not near doctors!"

"Don't get mad at me!"

Regina looked at the broken hand and recognised the infection that was beginning to form. She hissed as Emma grabbed the bottom of her tunic, cutting a strip off with the dagger and wrapped it around the gaping wound on one hand before doing the same for the other one.

"I need to wash them out," Emma mumbled as she tied a knot in the bandage, sensing the sheer agony under her fingertips. "We need to get back to the cottage… Horsey!"

The mare neighed as she limped over to the two women. Emma saw the arrow protruding from the horse's hind and gasped.

"Oh God!" Emma looked from animal to woman and swallowed a cry. Regina moved to the animal and pulled the arrow out before hovering a warm hand over the injury, weeping as magic intensified pain.

"They'll wake soon," Regina gestured to the sleeping archers. "We need to go."

The ride back to the castle was as quick as it was silent, dawn breaking as they reached the steps of the once glorious palace. Regina slipped off, hissing at the pain in her hands and waited for the blonde to lead the way up the steps. Emma pushed open door after door until she found a room with a bed, stepping inside and urging the older woman to sit down. Regina watched the younger woman, who was running a dirty hand through tangled, golden locks, her green eyes darting around the room.

"I need to find water to clean out…"

"Through those doors," Regina nodded. "A bathroom."

Emma nodded and disappeared long enough for Regina to look around at what was once a young princess' bedroom. She could remember the young girl that was Snow begging for a story from a bed smaller than the one she sat on, surrounded by colours of white and blue, soft teddy bears and porcelain dolls. The room no longer a room for a little girl, but for a guest, the walls still white, but the furniture of oak boasted no memory for the former queen.

She waved a hand over, wincing with pain as her magic cleared the room of dust and cobwebs before seeing the blonde woman standing in the doorway with a bowl of water and wads of bandaging.

"I guess all magic does come with a price," Emma said without feeling.

She shrugged as she rested both hands back in her lap, staring down at the grey bandages, blood seeping through them.

"Why don't you heal yourself?"

"Some scars are worth bearing," Regina smirked before seeing doubt in green eyes and sighed, "I can't."

"You can kill people with a flick of your wrist. You can rip hearts out without a thought. But you can't heal holes in your hands?"

"Emma," Regina murmured softly. "I can't"

Emma lifted the broken hand first and took the bandage from it, revealing torn skin and bone causing the young woman to gasp, "Regina, this is going to hurt."

Regina laughed without mirth, "It already hurts."

Emma pressed her fingers inside the wound, grimacing as she done so and pushed the bone slowly into place, crying as she heard the older woman scream and then pant. Emma lowered the older woman's hand gently and looked up before gently cleaning out the wound, stroking the wrist tenderly at each whimper.

"I need to stitch it."

The sun was high in the sky, beating down onto the abandoned lands without mercy when Emma had finished tending the wounds on the hands. She looked up at the older woman, seeing her normally olive skin pale, her dark eyes lost, her full lips tight, swallowing each cry and hissing at each pinch.

"You never told me Hook has magic."

"He doesn't."

"So how did he, you know, poof away?"

Regina arched an eyebrow, recognising her son inside this woman yet again, "That I guess would be my mother's doing."

Emma looked back down at the stitched hands and bandaged them with clean, white strips. "You knew those men, didn't you?"

Regina nodded, "They were my guards. They had tried to start an uprising so I banished them to the deep forest. I sent them to a life of the dead…"

"You took their hearts?"

Regina sighed, "I did."

"Then why aren't they dead?"

"Because their hearts are in a vault… in Storybrooke."

"The first thing you are doing when we get home is returning hearts," Emma commanded. She stood up and looked down at the brunette who was staring at the clean, white bandaging. "How did Hook control them? I mean, if you have their hearts-"

"They're not puppets, Miss Swan!"

Emma bit her lower lip at the raised tone and clenched her fist, before taking a deep breath, "I am going to have a bath."

She turned around, returning to the washroom, when a low voice stopped her in the doorway.

"Graham had no heart, and he felt joy with you… those soldiers have no hearts and feel anger with me. Until I can get their hearts I can't stop them from killing me."

Emma turned and saw the brunette looking up at her, streaks of dried tears, dirt and blood painted across her cheeks, tears down the sleeves of her tunic, holes in the knees of her pants revealing dried grazed knees and tangled brown locks. She sighed when she saw a struggle of loss and pain in deep, brown eyes.

"Want to clean up first?"

Regina nodded, and raised herself from the bed. She walked to the doorway and saw her own feelings in green eyes. She lifted her hand to push away dirty, blonde tresses, "I will find us a way home."

Emma exhaled, freeing a sob from the base of her inner being. She released another sob, her hand covering her mouth as she slid down the wall, tears spilling from her eyes. Regina stood over her, resting one wounded hand over golden locks, her own tears threatening to fall again.

"I promise you Emma, I will find a way back to Henry even if it kills me."

Emma nodded, pushing the tears back with the back of her hands before grabbing the older woman's wrist as she went to walk into the bathroom. Regina looked down and smiled slightly, "You should know by now, when I want something I am very persistent."

When Regina emerged from the bathroom, wearing a simple white nightshirt that Emma had found in the dresser, she found Emma looking out the window. She cleared her throat causing the blonde to turn around.

When Emma emerged from the bathroom, wearing a similar nightshirt, she found Regina on the edge of the bed, struggling with the bandages.

"Aw shit," Emma mumbled. She sat next to her, taking both hands in her own, arching an eyebrow at Regina's sheepish look. "We should have thought of bathing before bandages."

Regina watched the top of Emma's head, inhaling the smell of fresh lavender, closing her eyes and hissing as Emma placed fresh bandages on her wounds. Emma stroked a finger over each hand after finishing the bandages, before looking up at the brunette who was watching her carefully.

"Regina?"

"Yes."

Emma pushed back her blonde hair, tucking the wet strands behind her ears as she edged closer, their knees touching, small, wounded hands held gently in her palms. Regina bended her fingers, hissing as the pain travelled through her hands, before she lifted them free from pale hands.

Her voice was barely audible when she spoke again, "I'm tired."

Emma nodded, exhaustion catching her suddenly, "You sacrificed the only way home-"

"I'm sorry," Regina's voice cracked as she interrupted.

Emma placed a gentle hand onto the bare thigh peeping out from beneath the white nightshirt, "No, I am not angry… thank you."

"Thank you?" Regina shivered as she felt the younger woman's hand squeeze her thigh.

Emma smiled slightly and rested her forehead against the older woman's. She closed her eyes, licking her lower lip as she felt nervous breaths mix with her own and trembling finger tips against her knees. She opened her eyes and exhaled loudly, "For being good."

"Please…" Regina begged, her voice soft.

Their lips crashed together, learning each other. The blonde deepened the kiss, feeling hesitant fingers touch her arm. The smaller woman let her lead the kiss, relishing the feel of the tongue against her own. Her fingers dug into pale skin as she pushed into the kiss, wanting to taste the younger woman. Emma placed her hands around the slender waist, holding her as she drowned in the taste of the other woman. Regina's entangled her fingers into soft, blonde curls, ignoring the pain in her hands as she swept her tongue over the other woman's, memorising her taste, her touch, her feel, before pulling back. Their skin flushed and their breathing heavy as they looked at each other. Regina pulled Emma's face closer, her fingers still entrapped in long tresses, resting their foreheads together while Emma tightened her hold on her waist. Regina leaned forward and kissed her sweetly on the lips before letting her go, blonde locks falling to frame a pale face. She placed her bandaged hand over the younger woman's heart and felt it pounding beneath her touch, knowing her own heart was just as fast.

"Can I kiss you again?"

Emma leaned forward, gently taking the older woman's lips with her own, running her tongue over the lower, soft lip. She gently pushed the smaller woman back against the soft mattress, her hands going from waist to hips, as she hovered over the slender frames. She kissed only with lips before pulling back and looking down at questioning eyes. Regina combed her fingers through golden tresses before grabbing the taller woman's neck pulling their lips together once more. The kiss was soft, tender yet desperate as tongues danced together. Emma moaned as she felt a hand run down her spine, resting on the small of her back. Her lips left full one, kissing a smooth jaw, before caressing a slender neck, tasting it with her tongue, feeling the body beneath her trembling, and hearing a low moan. She turned her head sideways and sucked the olive skin, marking it as she felt her shirt being pulled up. She ripped her lips away from skin and kneeled backwards, straddling the brunette, before reaching down and pulling her white shirt over her head.

Regina swallowed a breath as she reached forward, her bandaged hands pressing flat against a toned, pale stomach. She heard the younger woman gasp as she traced a finger over taught muscles, from navel to hip bone, feeling twitches under her touch. She ran her finger over the contour from hip to the sides of full, heaving breasts, admiring the curvaceous journey and the blushing skin. She trailed her fingertip over the top of breasts, down the crevice between them and moaned at the rapid beating of a heart beneath her caress. She felt the blonde push against the finger and she pushed back, leaning upwards to kiss the skin the spot above her finger, tasting the salt and lavender with the tip of her tongue as she moved both hands to meet Emma's. She guided them to the hem of her nightshirt and as she felt the younger woman pull the material up, she sat upwards.

Emma dropped the cotton shirt on the floor next to them as she wrapped her legs around the older woman's waist, pushing their bodies together. She ran her hair through short, damp, brown hair, pulling the full lips to meet hers, groaning as she felt an expert tongue against her own. She moved against the smaller woman, her inside thighs against hips, her fingers deep inside dark locks, her arms locked under strong ones.

Regina moaned as she ran her tongue over the other woman's, exploring the niches of the younger woman's mouth, learning her taste, memorising her flavour. She pushed her hands against the woman's back, moaning at the pain from wounds and the pleasure as Emma ground into her.

Emma pulled her lips away, kissing tenderly down the jaw, chin and neck, until she found the collarbone, tasting the olive skin before nipping it. She lifted her head, resting her forehead against the older woman's, seeing darkness of lust battle in brown eyes, and swollen lips desperate to taste her again. She moved her legs as she pushed Regina back, straddling her once more as she leaned down to claim her lips again. She ran her fingers down the woman's arms until she felt the bandaging and moved them to caress the smooth stomach. She moved down, coaxing Regina's legs apart, sliding between them as she ran her tongue over the lower lip, biting it slightly before sucking it.

Regina whimpered as lips left hers, moaned as she felt strong hands take her breasts and groaned as warm breath ghosted over her chest. She pushed into the hands as fingers toyed with her nipples, and wrapped her hand into blonde hair as Emma dipped her head, tasting her skin once again with a single stroke of her tongue. She arched as the younger woman squeezed her nipple while taking the other between teeth, sucking it.

Emma could feel the older woman's heated desire against her stomach and looked up to see tightly closed eyes and a biting lip. She ran her tongue over the nipple again and felt the quiver of thighs against her sides. She slid her fingers into warmth, taking her as her own, relishing the moans escaping the mouth of her lover. She paused her movement, lifting her head suddenly and saw confusion in Regina's face.

Regina saw surprise in Emma's eyes and between wanton desire and painful need, she understood. She lifted the younger woman's chin, pulling it to meet her tender, gentle kiss. Emma pushed inside her deeply, causing her to moan loudly, echoing inside the mouth of her lover. She pulled back quickly and looked into green eyes, fear dancing inside both of them.

"Regi-"

Regina leaned forward, kissing the younger woman deeply, swallowing both their fears as she pushed down on invading fingers, groaning loudly. She moved again, forcing the woman to thrust again.

Emma moved her fingers slowly and deeply with each thrust, pulling her lips away quickly as Regina groaned again, seeing a blush rise beneath olive skin and light beads of sweat adorning it. She kissed the woman deeper as she moved faster, feeling the quivers of thighs against her.

Regina pushed her back, strong hands against shoulders, desire blazing in her brown eyes, frustration on the tip of her lips. She lifted her hands, gasped as Emma pushed into her again before stopping her, a padded palm on a slender wrist, and fingers still deep inside her.

"I want to-"

Emma frowned and lifted her free hand to push back a single lock of brown hair behind an ear, "What?"

"I can't- you-"

Emma saw the bandaged hands and understood and pushed her fingers deep inside the brunette, whimpering at the moan from the older woman.

Regina moved back, pulling Emma's wrist, freeing her from the penetrating fingers, missing them immediately. She pushed the blonde back, reversing their positions so she was lying between pale thighs. Emma looked down at her with shock and lust playing across her face, before almost screaming when she felt a strong tongue take her, devouring her, drinking her, dancing inside her. Her hands pulled at the mattress as she rocked against the older woman's mouth.

Regina held the squirming, tall woman with strong hands against her hips, pain replaced with pleasure as she drank this woman's taste, desperately trying to quench the endless thirst she had. She felt fingers entangled in her hair and hips pushed against her tongue as moans escaped an open mouth. She felt hands on her own, clawing at her wrists making her pull back, licking her lips.

Emma looked down and saw herself glistening on the older woman's full lips and did nothing to suppress the urge to kiss her. She pulled the woman up to her, lifted her head to meet a kiss, a tender, gentle, soft kiss as they rocked together.

Regina could feel tremors building inside her as their cores met.

Emma moaned as she quivered when their breasts rubbed against each other.

Regina whimpered as the hands united, palms against palms, fingers entangled in fingers.

Emma grunted as they rocked together, ecstasy fast approaching.

Both women screamed into each other mouths as their hearts beat against each other and warmth engulfed them.

They slowed their movements and let their kisses linger before lying against each other, holding each other close, catching their breaths and slowing their heartbeats. Regina slid to Emma's side, her ear resting against the beating heart. Emma wrapped her arm around the bare woman, feeling the warmth of their being merge with the warmth of the beating red sun and closed her eyes. Regina squeezed the blonde's other hand, forgetting her wound and Emma squeezed back before entwining their fingers. Regina heard the other woman fall to sleep and moved carefully, sliding free from the embrace. She smiled as she watched the exhausted blonde fall deeply into slumber's hold and trailed a gentle finger along her cheek before covering her with a sheet.

She moved away from the bed, pulling her shirt back on and stepped quietly into the bathroom, sitting on the small stool near the marble bath tub and rolled her eyes at the water still in it. She must teach Emma how to work the tub one of these days, she thought to herself before looking at her hands. She pulled the bandage free from one of them, smelling Emma all over it. She swallowed her gasp as she lifted it to the small window. The skin, smooth, unblemished and whole… her hand was completely healed. She shook her head and wiped the tears away, before wrapping the bandage around her hand again. She inhaled deeply as she walked from the bathroom, stopping in the doorframe, her eyes settling on the sleeping young woman. She looked back at the bandaged hands and sighed, before looking up at the ceiling, recognising the spiral patterns from a time long past. She looked back at Emma and smiled, feeling sadness merge with a tiny glimmer of hope, finally understanding. She knew what to do.

A/N: Just to say thank you to all the follows, favourites and review. Please let me know what you think


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: Dust**

As the sun set, Emma rolled onto her stomach, her arm flung carelessly over the edge of the bed, the sheet falling, the curve of her hips peering over the sheet, sleep continuing to pull her deep. As the darkness blanketed the sky, stars peering through, Emma mumbled as she shivered slightly as cool air tickled her and pulled the sheet over her as she rolled onto her side, sinking into oblivion. As the sun returned, warming the earth as it awoke, Emma fluttered her eyes open, adjusting her vision as sleep loosened its grip on her. She frowned as she sat up, pulling the sheet to cover her modesty and looked around.

"Regina!"

She jumped free from the bed, wrapping the sheet tightly around her nude form as she moved into the bathroom to find it empty. She pulled open the bedroom door, calling out her lover's name, listening as it echoed through the bare corridors. She felt panic build inside her as she moved quickly through the stone building, her bare feet slapping against the cold slabs, her arms pushing open doors to empty rooms, her voice cracking with each shout.

"Regina! Stop playing games!"

She pushed open the heavy door, seeing a room, vast in size, each wall adorned with bookcases, each shelf filled with large tomes, a desk in the far side, a globe of a world she did not know standing next to it, a large velvet couch covered in a layer of dust, and a round table with chairs knocked to the floor. She stepped inside, feeling the warmth of the sun through the stained glass window and ran her fingers over the etched designs in the wooden table as she looked up at the wall. The bricks were of dark grey, bare, except for a tapestry of a happy kingdom, its edges ripped and a large sword, with a white hilt and sheath.

She turned back to the corridor, leaving the room behind her. She reached the end of the corridor, running down the stairs, not caring of the pain the stone was causing the soles of her feet. She pulled open the arched, oak doors at the bottom of the last step.

"REGINA! Where the fuck are you?"

The word bounced off the walls as she ventured towards the large open hallway. She stood in the middle, unaware that this was the spot where her parents shared their first dance as husband and wife. She twirled, eyes darting to each spot as the edges of the long sheet swept up dust. The room was empty of furniture with the exception of a harp with broken strings and a glass chandelier hanging from the high ceiling, the sun shimmering in each glass bead.

"Regina!"

She shouted the name as she ran through the empty hallway, pushing open the heavy door, reaching a courtyard designed with white stone and overgrown plants and weeds. She ran through the many arches, each cracked with age and neglect, yet each arching a different view of the kingdom. She looked over and for a second saw what once was, lush green lands protected by a golden sun. She saw a fountain, empty of what she imagined to be pure water. It was surrounded by two benches of stone and vases filled with cracks from overgrown roots of dying plants. Standing proudly on the edges of the courtyard were statues, some missing heads, some cracking across their exteriors but still standing. She looked up and saw the sun almost hiding from her, only providing a single ray, lighting an empty plot, surround by a low wall of white stone and a hexagonal design, lying apart from the other features, alone and bare. She moved closer to it, seeing nothing but dirt; there were no weeds, no branches, no stones, no light… nothing but emptiness. She sat on the low wall, taking a deep breath as she sifted the moist soil between her fingertips.

"Apples," she whispered as she inhaled deeply, the scent almost invisible. "Regina? Where did you go?"

She felt the warmth of the sun on her bare shoulders, its rays lighting the sides of the building, she looked up and saw it gleaming against the glass of a room upstairs, the room she had just slept in. She smiled as she stood up, running through the hallways, up the stairs and returning to the bedroom, only to find it empty.

"Regina!"

She looked down and saw the nightshirt the older woman had worn cast aside on the floor, and the bandages that had wrapped the wounds on her hands laying in a bundle next to it. She reached forward, picking up the cotton, running it between her fingers, blood stains dry and old as the day.

"What the fuck did you do?" she exclaimed as she saw a crack in the wardrobe. She pulled it open, not recognising the clothing within, but seeing the space to tell her that the brunette had dressed. She gasped as she realised she was alone and abandoned once more. She dropped to her knees, gulping the air in as she fought her tears, her hands in her hair, fingers entwined in her blonde locks as she rocked. She closed her eyes, angry tears spilling over as she continued to curse the woman with each breath. She leaned backwards, her back against the wood of the wardrobe, the sheet unravelling, and she looked up at the spirals of the ceiling, her breath evening as she calmed down. She closed her eyes as the sun once again shone against her pale skin, before opening them and realising the sheet no longer covered her completely. She stood up, letting the material fall completely and rummaged through the wardrobe for appropriate clothing. She pulled on a pair of dark grey pants over the white undershorts and a black tunic over her black bra. It was tight against her torso, stretching across her bosom, its neckline dipping into her cleavage while the trousers were loose, flaring at her knees, threatening to fall until she found a belt to tighten them with. She tucked the dagger into the belt, and pulled on her red jacket, feeling the tube of ashes in the inside pocket. She pulled on her boots over socks, and stood, taming her hair with combing fingers.

She looked down at the bandages and frowned, anger rising inside her before the dust of the sheet caught her eye.

"Dust," she mumbled. "Fuckin' dust!"

She ran through the corridor, returning to the library. Her only focus was the ornate, round table. It, unlike everything else within the large room, was completely clean of dust. She touched the table again, her fingers not revealing a single trace of dirt. She looked up at the stained glass and saw the sun had disappeared.

"Seriously!" Emma yelled, frustration finally winning. She grabbed the nearest item at hand, a large, leather bound book and flung it at the glass, shattering the coloured pane into thousands of pieces. She ripped books from shelves, kicked the chairs from their places before tearing down the tapestry. She lifted the globe and threw it across the room, smashing the orb into splinters before grabbing at the edge of the desk turning it onto its side, relishing in the loud crash it gave as it hit the ground.

"I just want to go home!"

She screamed as she raged, throwing what she could, kicking what she could, tearing what she could, hearing the brunette's smug tone berate her anger inside her head.

"Fuck you!" she yelled as she could picture the brunette standing there, her arms crossed as she stood proud in her designer suit, a knowing smirk dancing on her red lips.

She pulled her dagger free and stabbed the centre of the oak table, the tip sticking to the trunk of the etched tree. She breathed heavily as she tried to calm the anger within her, focusing on the tree. She remembered the woman's face of shock and ire when she cut the branch from the tree. She remembered the fear in Regina's dark eyes when she realised that she had poisoned their son. She remembered the love and relief dance across the older woman's features when Henry emerged from the mine.

"Henry," she whispered as her son flashed through her mind, followed by questions of doubt and wonder. She could remember the trust this small boy had placed in her hand, the faith he had in her, the awe with which he looked at her. He did not look at Regina that way nor did he believe in the other woman and yet the brunette did not give up on him. Or had she?

She remembered the pureness, the warmth, the tenderness that occurred between them as the touched, kissed and held each other. She closed her eyes as she remembered the heat that engulfed them as they reached bliss and could almost feel it touch her skin again. She opened her eyes as the sun streamed through the broken window, its light bouncing of the blade of the knife, before darkening the room. She looked up at the bare wall as the natural light change and gasped as she saw shadows bounce of the grey bricks, before uniting, taking on the shape of a person. She watched the person swirl as a dark tornado before vanishing altogether and gasped as a new memory returned; the brunette had cursed her with a soft kiss to her pale cheek and a whispered command to sleep.

"Oh Regina, what did you do?"

When she reached outside of the palace doors, she was unsurprised to see the chestnut mare waiting for her. She couldn't help but grin when the horse nickered at her and she ran her hand over her mane, rubbing down her neck.

"Guess you know that she's gone and done something stupid again then?"

The horse neighed slightly and nudged at the young woman.

"And we've got to go and find her again?"

The animal nodded her head before turning it to the road, and Emma chuckled, "And I guess you know where to find her?"

The horse stood still and watched the blonde who rolled her eyes, "Of course you don't… you found her before…"

Emma looked over at the kingdom, seeing the injured brunette in a quick memory and laughed loudly. She finally understood this land and the magic it boasts. She turned to the mare, and pulled herself up onto her bare back, tugging the mane gently, feeling as one with the strong beast as she nudged her with the heels of her boots. The horse reared her head slightly before moving forward a couple of steps, adjusting to the weight before waiting for her mistress's command. Emma leaned forward and whispered into the horse's ear.

"Take me home."

The horse reared and galloped at a pace unknown to her rider. Emma crouched into the horse's back, her heart beating fast as she clung to the animal's neck, her complete trust in the animal now. She ignored the pain as twigs whipped against her, thorns hitting her face, cutting, scratching at her. She hissed as stoned kicked up by beating hooves hit her shins, her knees. She swore as her chest hit the horse's back at each jump and screamed slightly as a branch smacked into her back. She swallowed her fear as she heard the growls of ogres in near distances, and the sun setting as darkness covered them. She squeezed her eyes tightly as she imagined cackles in the deep forest, and realised that's where she was; the deep forest. She braced herself for attacks as the horse pushed through the tightening paths, the dark green trees and the black blanket of night. As dawn broke, the horse slowed, broken from exhaustion. She slid off, wincing as pain coursed through her. She leaned forward, her hands against her thighs as she retched before gasping in the dense air that hung around them. She glanced at the animal, and saw welts across chestnut and red rim her black eyes. She clutched the animal's neck as she pushed her towards the dark leaves.

"Horsey," her voice cracked as she patted the exhausted animal. "Enough now… you rest. I've got it from here."

She looked through the thick trees, pushing the branches away as she stumbled through the depths of forests, no longer feeling the thorns and splinters attack her. Her hand clutched the dagger in her waistband as she held her breath taking in the sight before her. On the edge of the dark forest, beneath the grey clouds and engulfed by thick air stood a castle of black bricks. Had Emma not been afraid, she would have rolled her eyes at the predictability of evil being designated by black buildings in this land. She looked up the span of the building, taking in the jagged bricks, the windows of unclear glass and struggled to find the door.

"What the fu-"

The spear jabbed her in the back, tearing the leather of her jacket and causing her to turn. She saw a man loom over her, scars riddling his face, a torn uniform of black and emptiness in his eyes.

"Hi," she smiled weakly, her hands up in the universal sign of peace. "I'm just-"

His eyes glanced to her waist, seeing the dagger and he reached forward, snatching at it. She pushed him backwards, her hand protecting her weapon. She pulled it free, holding it before her as he spun his spear in the palm of his hand. The two danced around each other, sizing each other up, waiting for a weakness to occur. He rocked slightly on his left knee and Emma smirked. She could swing her leg, kick him from underneath and cause him to fall. Yet, as she recognised his weakness, he recognised hers; she would think before she acted. He would just act.

She screamed as the spear pierced her shoulder, cried as it dug deeper, and swallowed blood as she fell to her knees, the wood of the weapon snapping in half. She saw the splintered weapon protrude from her shoulder and felt the dagger fall free from her grasp.

"Regina," the name fell from her lips as the wooden handle struck the side of her head, and blackness engulfed her.

Emma woke and looked around, recognising nothing. She frowned as she tried to remember before pressing her hand against her shoulder, feeling nothing but smooth skin. She swore with confusion before rising from the small cot. The walls were bare, the windows without glass but barred and the door locked.

She rattled the handle on the heavy door, swearing loudly as she struggled against her prison.

"My daughter knew you would come."

Emma turned and saw the older woman standing there, a sneering smile and a cocked eyebrow adorning her face.

"Where is she?" Emma stepped up to Cora, a breath away, "What did you do to her?"

Cora laughed, "You really are a fool."

The younger woman frowned and Cora pushed her back, pinning her against the wall without touching her. The dark-haired woman moved forward, caressing a pale cheek with a gloved finger before pressing her hand against where the stab wound once lived, "You know that you should say thank you for that."

"Where is Regina?" Emma hissed.

Cora smiled as she moved her hand away, "She was always going to come back to me because my dear, love is weakness… and my daughter is weak."

"No, she's not," Emma spat out.

Cora chuckled before turning around, preparing to leave, "As are you."

The witch disappeared as she had arrived, encircled in purple smoke. Emma fell forward as the invisible binds released her. She banged her fists on the doors, knowing it pointless but the fight in her wouldn't let her stop.

She rested her forehead against the wood, exhaustion catching her unguarded as frustration laced her swearing words. She turned around and slid down against the door, her elbows resting against her knees, her fingers laced together behind her neck as she looked upwards. She shook her head and laughed, "Oh Regina! You stupid idiot."

A/N: Again, a big thank you to those that favourited, are following and have reviewed. I hope that you continue to enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing. Please let me know what I think.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Want to thank you all again, the favourites, the many, many, many followers and those who reviewed. Thank you... Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Chapter Thirteen: Tomorrow**

Emma turned from the barred window at the sound of the lock turning in the door, her eyebrow arched and a smile playing on her lips.

"I knew you'd come," she whispered as she laid her eyes on the smaller woman, dressed in black leather pants and a tight, red corset, covered in a black high-collar cloak. "And what are you wearing?"

"I knew you'd follow," Regina whispered, her face giving away nothing. "I don't have long."

"Your mother?"

"Asleep," Regina whispered.

"Regina, I know," Emma entwined her fingers with the older woman's, smirking as she felt no wounds in the palms.

"How?" Regina felt the softness of the woman's hands against the palms of her own.

"You got shot near the heart."

Regina smirked and studied the blonde, complete faith dancing in her green eyes.

"Do you trust me?"

Emma smiled widely and nodded, "I do."

"Why?"

The blonde moved closer to the smaller woman, their bodies touching, their lips inches apart, their gaze undeterred, "Because you got shot near the heart."

"Tomorrow…" Regina slid her hands inside the younger woman's jacket, her knuckles brushing against a toned stomach, her touch warming and tender.

Emma leaned forward, catching the older woman's lips in the smallest of a kiss, "We return to our son…"

Regina met the younger woman's lips again, softly caressing as she ran her hands down the leather covered arms, pulling her closer as she deepened the kiss. Emma groaned softly as an expert tongue duelled with her own, and placed her hands on Regina's hips, sliding them under the heavy cloak. The dark-haired woman smiled as she pulled back slowly, nipping at lips, her hands on Emma's sides.

"Regina? Emma whispered against full lips. "Do you trust me?"

The brunette kissed the younger woman again before stepping backwards, "You saved my life."

Regina turned around and went to the door, pulling it open. She stepped into the corridor before glancing at the blonde and arched an eyebrow, "I think that horrible jacket is nearing its end, Miss Swan."

Emma laughed slightly as she studied the rips and tears in the material. She heard the lock in the door and turned back to heavy raindrops outside the window, shivering as cool air surrounded her. She put her hands in her pockets and chuckled.

Regina climbed the spiral stairs, out of the dungeons and into the tower, of what once was home. She stepped into the highest room, an observatory whose walls were made of glass. She looked over the deep forest, a land without light, a land which she took when banished from the Enchanted Forest and ruled with cruel mind. It was on these grounds where she had ripped her father's heart, fear and love in his eyes as he fell to the floor. It was on these grounds she cursed the people she hated with glee. She thought about Emma's words and cocky smile and rolled her eyes. She touched the scar adorning her chest, her hand resting above her breast and remembered that night.

_Confusion was heavy in her mind as she raced her stallion faster through the woods, ignoring the blonde behind her. She could still taste the kiss on her lips and she hated it. She heard the snap of a twig, and felt eyes watching them. She could hear the hooves of their horses slamming against the ground as they galloped. She saw the sun bounce of the tip of a drawn arrow, and snarled. Without thinking, she rode the animal faster, digging her heels into his sides, knowing that she was losing Emma in the distance. It was when she could no longer hear the blonde or the mare that she pulled the black horse to a halt. _

_The first arrow missed, piercing the air beside her ear, lifting her hair, making her turn as it became embedded in the tree before her. She could see nothing as the horse turned, her dark eyes sharp on the still trees and moving shadows. The second arrow whistled past her shoulder, tearing the material of her shirt and the horse reared as she struggled to tighten her grip on the reins. _

_"Mother?" she hissed as she raised her hand, magic crackling inside her. The horse reared high, knocking her to the ground as the arrow struck him, moving slowly into the woods, bleeding as he struggled to live. _

_She let the magic light her fingers, preparing to slaughter her attacker without hesitance and then she remembered, and laughed bitterly. She moved quickly after her horse into the small opening and saw him collapse, death winning the battle. She turned, her hands at her side and she waited for what was to come. _

_She screamed as the arrow hit her in the chest, knocking her backwards. She looked up, waiting to see the face of her attacker and was greeted with the empty grey eyes of a man she had punished decades before. He was neither tall nor short, neither large nor thin, a tanned face with thin wrinkles, and a scar from ear to shoulder. She was responsible for that scar, as was she responsible for the emptiness in his eyes. She watched him loom over her, her hands wrapped around the arrow, blood spilling over her fingers. _

_"What do you want?" she whispered, blood filling her chest. She coughed, blood falling from her lips and she smiled, "You missed on purpose…"_

_The man nodded, revealing no emotion. Twigs snapped and leaves rustled, as more men appeared, each armed with a weapon, each with vacant eyes and each with a mission in mind. _

_Regina moved slightly, whimpering as the arrow shifted slightly, but did not rest until her back was against a tree. She looked at the archer who was now crouching, his bow touching the ground as he watched her. _

_Regina screamed as she snapped the shaft of the arrow, clutching the thin wood in her fist, gasping in air, coughing as it mixed with blood. She glanced at the men who were watching her carefully. She felt the magic inside her, pleading for her to cast these men aside, rip their lives from them as she had done their hearts decades before. Its strength begging for her to heal, to cease her own suffering as she felt the blood pool within her chest as she took another breath. Yet, she would only allow the magic reach the tips of her fingers and the edge of her lips. _

_One of the men moved closer, drawing a dagger from his boot, pressing it against the former queen's throat, nicking the skin slightly. Regina sneered, a drop of blood resting on her lower lip. She licked it, tasting the metallic tang that was her own blood and watched him carefully. _

_"My son," she gasped, realisation dawning as magic rescinded within her. _

_The man did not answer as he withdrew his dagger._

_"She doesn't know where I am."_

_She remembered the kiss that she had shared with Emma, the softness of the lips, the sweetness of the taste and she smiled. She felt strength in that memory, light in that moment. _

_"She had hoped I would use magic… you idiots… she had expected me to kill you."_

_The man leant backwards, his weight on his heel, his dagger back in his boot. He stood up and leaned over her, pushing the arrow in further, ignoring her scream as he successfully stopped the flow of blood. She grabbed his arm with her empty hand and his eyes met hers._

_She coughed again, more blood falling from her lips and rested her head against the tree. She felt magic inside her, begging her to strengthen her again and she laughed weakly, "You are lucky that I am being good."_

_The men said nothing and did nothing, and Regina swallowed, wincing at the pain, "I will die before I let her come near my son."_

_The archer nodded and released his arm from her grip as he stood tall. He slipped the bow over his shoulder and disappeared into the depth of the tall trees followed by the others._

She stepped back from the glass, looking around the observatory in which she stood. It was a small room, and it was the highest room of the palace. When she was first cast aside here, she found comfort in this room, she felt power within the glass walls, and she felt clarity at times in her thoughts. But at this moment, she felt peace with her decision.

The brunette turned as she heard her mother's heavy heels hit the tiles of the floor. She smiled without feeling as Cora cocked an eyebrow and smirked.

"You went to see her?"

Regina nodded, "Yes…"

"And?"

"She still trusts me," Regina stated.

Cora chuckled and walked to the glass where her daughter stood, "I am very proud of you."

Regina couldn't hide her surprise, "Thank you Mother."

"I must sleep," Cora jested. "Big day tomorrow!"

Regina shook her head as she watched her mother leave, unsurprised by the blasé attitude the older woman boasted. She turned back to the window, watching the rain fall from the grey clouds. She heard the footsteps stop and waited for her mother to speak again.

"Regina?" Cora watched as her daughter turn her head slightly, but wouldn't face her. "You will see your son tomorrow."

Regina watched the rain hit of the glass as her mother left the room, her thoughts on the small boy in Storybrooke. Her mind drifted to the blonde woman in the gallows of the castle, waiting as she was for the morning to come. She placed her hands on the glass and leant her forehead against it, staring down at the darkness that the palace presided over. This was once her home, and now it is her mother's. When she had found herself here the previous day, surprise had not been something she felt.

_She appeared in the great hall before her mother who was sat on a throne, staff in hand, bemused smirk on her lips and glee in her eyes. _

_"I expected you sooner," Cora mused. "But you weren't always the quickest to see what was before you."_

_"You have the compass," Regina demanded._

_Cora chuckled, "I always had it…"_

_"How?"_

_"When you returned for the ashes, a simple sleight of hand."_

_"And the ashes," her daughter interrupted. _

_"You've just brought them with you," Cora smiled, rising from her throne, resting upon her staff. She shrugged as she moved closer to her daughter, "Are you angry with me?"_

_Regina barked out a laugh, "Did you plan all of it?"_

_Cora arched an eyebrow and Regina pushed past her, turning to study the great hall, its black walls, its white tiled floors, its tinted glass windows. _

_"You wanted me to come to you. To beg you for help…"_

_Cora sighed, her voice softening as she spoke, "I wanted you to love me again-"_

_"I never stopped loving you Mother!" Regina shouted. "All I ever wanted was for you to love me back!"_

_"Oh Regina, I do love you…" Cora caressed her daughter's soft cheek with a gloved hand. "Everything I have ever done was for you."_

_"You planned the attack?" Regina pressed her own hand against her scarred chest as she stepped away from the touch and smirked when her mother nodded. "And you were prepared for me to die?"_

_"I had thought you would do magic…" Cora whispered as her daughter walked to the other end of a long table. "If it makes you feel any better, the man that shot that arrow… well, he is no more." _

_Regina shook her head, "My son cannot be like us. He cannot commit the sins we have…"_

_"He won't," Cora promised. _

_"And Hook, what was your plan for him?"_

_"He kept me wonderful company for almost three decades," Her mother trailed off. "I was testing him. He was to bring me the compass…"_

_"The fake compass," Regina chuckled. "Did he pass?"_

_"I am still waiting for his return," Cora smiled widely._

_Regina shook her head, "And Emma, what is your plan for her?"_

_Cora appeared before her daughter, without taking a step, relying on her magic. She took the younger woman's chin between her thumb and finger and studied her dark eyes, "I did not plan for you to fall in love with her."_

_Regina ducked her head and felt her mother tighten her grip before releasing her. "But you're fooling yourself if you think she loves you too. The moment you return to her world she will punish you… you know that, don't you?"_

_Regina looked at her hands and smiled slightly, before looking up at her mother, "Yes… but I have plans for her too."_

_Cora studied her and chuckled, "When did you know?"_

_"That you planned everything?" Regina asked and watched as her mother nodded. "When I crushed the compass… there was no magic in it."_

_Cora sat down on the armchair, waving her wrist to light the large fire, "And now you have plotted…"_

_"My final revenge?" Regina jested as she moved to stand next to the mantel, the flames flickering in the reflection of her dark eyes, before nodding. "Yes."_

_Cora tilted her head slightly, watching her daughter and pride laced her smile, "You planned everything too, didn't you?"_

_"I didn't plan to get shot…"_

_Cora chuckled, "No, but you did plan to get the Saviour to trust you and believe in you. How did you know she would save you?"_

_Regina closed her eyes as she remembered the fear in green eyes, when Emma had found her bleeding in the depths of the wood, "I didn't."_

_Cora looked impressed, "But your plan had worked… she trusts you."_

_Regina nodded, "With her life."_

_"And me? You were always going to come back for me." _

_"When I found out that you were alive, yes."_

_"To kill me? Or can't you do it?"_

_Regina sighed before shaking her head._

_"And yet you killed your father who you adored."_

_Regina swallowed visibly but still remained silent._

_"Because he couldn't understand your need for vengeance like I do. And you're here now to-" Cora turned her head and smiled to herself, a slight laughter in her tone, "You're going to kill the Saviour. Kill her in front of Snow."_

_"I can't kill her Mother," Regina whispered._

_She watched the orange and red dancing flames. She could almost hear the cogs inside her mother's mind turn. _

_"You need me to kill Snow's daughter, don't you?"_

_Regina sighed, remembering the tender touches, the soft lips and the blissful moment when their heartbeats became one. She turned and looked down at her mother and nodded, "Yes."_

Regina felt a tear sting at her eyes as the rain became heavier outside. Tomorrow it would all be over.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: Home**

Emma grunted as she felt the soldier pull her from the cell and shove her up the stairs. She squinted as the early day's grey light hit her eyes. She clenched her fists, her fingertips pressing against the leather of her jacket as she looked up and saw her jailers. Regina stood next to her mother, her brown eyes showing nothing, her lips in a tight smile, her fingers clenched as the blondes are, the fingertips playing with the lace of her sleeves. Cora wore wide skirts and a tight corset, wrapped comfortably in a cloak of heaviness and a long staff held firmly in her hand.

"Mother, we don't really need the Deep Forest Army, do we?"

Regina smirked as she watched the blonde fall to her knees as she reached the top of the steps. Emma looked around, expecting more of these large men, but found none, other than the man whose heavy hand was on her once wounded shoulder. She looked up at him and recognised him as her captor, and pushed against him. He pushed her back to the hard ground, making her grunt.

"Mother?"

The blonde turned to the low husk of Regina's voice, seeing the brunette dressed in black and purple, oozing regency. Regina was glowering at her mother, who tossed the blonde back into the air, binding her tightly with invisible ropes, squeezing the air from the young woman's lungs cackling as she saw fear flash in green eyes.

"Mother, as much as I love to see Sheriff Swan rendered speechless and useless, we must go."

She grinned at the look of hurt and surprise in green eyes as she tightened the bound with a flick of a wrist and dropped her onto her feet. Cora laughed, almost cackled and waved the soldier away, making him vanish in the air, "I must admit, this way is more fun."

Cora watched her daughter's face as she tightened Emma's binds once more, and saw a flinch in the young brunette's face. She stamped her staff into the ground and purple smoke engulfed the three women, transporting them from the dark palace to barren wastelands. Emma groaned as her back hit the ground and dizziness filled her head. The binds gone in the smoke but pain in their place. She pushed herself upwards, only to be pushed back by the flick of Regina's wrist.

"Where is the lake?" Regina asked as she looked around and saw nothing but dried dirt and dead branches.

Cora smirked, "Right before you."

Regina frowned, seeing nothing but empty dunes, "There is nothing here."

"Still as impatient as you were as a small child I see."

Cora laughed and slammed her staff in the ground, and waited while the land returned to its former glory, lush greenness, and a clear blue lake. Regina stepped closer, her hand hovering over the water, feeling power, light and dark. She looked back at her mother, before dropping her gaze on Emma who was standing inches closer than before, her expression filled with awe.

"Miss Swan, not so close…"

Emma looked up at brown eyes and nodded, anticipation coursing through her blood. She glanced at Cora who was watching her carefully.

Regina turned to her mother, "The compass please?"

Cora pulled the compass from her skirts and held it in her tight grip, refusing to trust her daughter with it. Regina was unsurprised by the action and just quirked an eyebrow.

"We need the ashes my dear," Cora stated.

Regina took the vial of ashes from her purse, studying them as the reflection of pure water against the glass, before turning to her mother. "I would like the compass please."

"You don't trust me?"

Regina laughed, "Would you be concerned if I did trust you?"

Cora chuckled and stepped closer to her daughter, her grip loosening before glancing at the blonde who was watching them carefully, waiting. Emma raised her eyebrow and clenched her fingertips against the sleeves of her jacket, causing Cora to frown before looking back at her daughter.

"Are you planning to stab me with that weapon you're concealing? The dagger that my daughter returned to you." She turned to her daughter who looked at her with surprise. "Did you really think that I don't watch everything? So are you going to stab me Princess?"

Emma pulled the dagger free from her sleeve, her eyes moving from mother to daughter and back to mother. She twirled the blade between her thumb and her forefinger, pointing it at the witch. "If I must…"

Emma frowned as she felt the blade slip from her wrist, willing it to remain in her grip as she tightened her brow in concentration. "Regina?"

Cora and approached Emma, "Did she tell you what she plans to do on your return? That I pull your heart from your chest before your mother… crush it."

Emma glanced at Regina whose face was of stone, "Why not do it yourself?"

Regina said nothing and Cora could only chuckle, "Because she is weak."

Emma stepped closer and shook her head, "She is not weak."

"Love is weakness," Cora reiterated, standing an inch from the blonde. "My daughter learned that lesson before as I am sure you have heard before you bedded her. You found my daughter's weakness and exploited it… made her fall in love with you. Manipulation certainly runs in your family."

"Fuck you!" Emma swore as she glowered at the older woman.

"Quite the princess, aren't you?" Cora chuckled as she bound the woman once again. She looked over her daughter and recognised the look in her face. It was as if she had been transported back to that stable, to that moment before she ripped out the stable boy's heart. She turned back to the blonde, and pulled the dagger from her bound hand. She studied the blade before tossing it into the lake, letting it sink to the bottom.

"Shit," Emma mumbled as she struggled against her binds, recognising fear in her lover's brown eyes for the first time since the sun started this day.

Cora turned to her daughter and chuckled, "Did you really think I would believe that you set Snow's daughter up from the beginning… all you have ever wanted was love, like a dog with a bone…"

"Mother?" Regina's voice was laced with fear.

"You are foolish like your father, weak and stupid… You could have been truly great. You could have had great power, but you chose a world with no magic-"

"I just wanted to be happy," Regina whispered, feeling her mother get closer to her.

The sound of the slap echoed over the lake, causing the water to slightly ripple. Regina felt blood fall onto her lower lip, a cut replacing an old scar on her upper lip. She lifted her hand to her cheek, feeling the sting of her mother's slap. She lifted her eyes to the blackness of her mother's, feeling a tremble beneath her.

Both women turned to see Emma released from her binds, rage in her green eyes as she stalked towards Cora, her fist raised, punching her hard in the chin, knocking her to the ground. "You do not get to lay a finger on her again! Do you understand?"

Cora looked up at her from the ground, bemusement dancing across her face. She stood without effort, pushing the young woman back with an upheld hand. Emma ignored the magic, pushing against it as she raised her fist again.

Cora laughed, impressed by the young woman, and raised her other hand, blasting the woman to the ground. She turned to her daughter who was swirling a ball of fire in her hand, aiming for her mother.

"You choose her?"

"I will always choose her," Regina vowed as she tossed the fireball at her mother who merely deflected it with a flick of her wrist.

Cora stepped close to her daughter, her words concise and low as she spoke, "All I have ever wanted was-"

Regina gasped as she felt tightness around her heart, and stared into her mother's eyes, "Mot-"

Cora cut her off, twisting her hand, continuing her own sentence, "You and me together."

"Regina!" Emma shoved Cora's arm, standing between the two women, gasping as her own heart felt the tight squeeze of the powerful witch's grip.

"Emma?"

Cora raised a finger, effectively gagging her daughter before grinning at the blonde, tightening her fingers around the beating heart, "Interesting."

She looked at her daughter, seeing pleas in brown eyes before twisting her wrist, "One day Regina, you will be thankful for what I am about to do… After all, love is weakness."

Emma felt an unknown strength in her body, a glow and a warmth inside of her, a sensation she had only felt once before. Time had stilled, lasting only for the single beat of her heart, as a surge of love filled her. Henry's sweet smile and naïve sense of hope, Mary Margaret and David's smile of hope and relief at their brief reunion, Neal's grin as he gave her the gift of a dolphin key-ring... these memories accompanied many of her heartbeats. But this heartbeat, this final heartbeat, only one memory filled her mind, that moment when she kissed Regina, their fingers entwined as their bodies moved together and true love absorbed them both.

"Love is strength," Emma bit out, as a pulse of brilliant light surged from her, tossing Cora onto her back.

She looked back at Regina who was as stunned as she was, "What the fu-"

"She'll wake up soon," Regina interrupted, pulling the blonde away from her sleeping mother and close to the lake.

"That wasn't a magic dagger, was it?"

Regina smiled sadly and shook her head.

"It was all me, wasn't it?"

Regina turned to her love, pulling her into her arms, tilting her head to look up at the confused blonde, "Yes."

"And you knew?"

Regina nodded, "I didn't want you to suffer the thrall of magic… and the price that comes with it."

Emma leaned forward, kissing the older woman tenderly on the lips, "When did you know?"

"The hat," Regina whispered against the other woman's lips.

Emma nodded as she remembered touching the former mayor's arm, the flicker of energy that arose from the touch, causing the hat to spin. She took the ashes from the brunette's tight grip, stepping out of her embrace and tipped them into the lake. She watched the portal break open, swirling as a cyclone would, brilliant and loud.

Regina knelt over her mother's unconscious form, removing the compass from the skirts. She stood up and saw the blonde watching the portal with wonder on her face. She stepped up to the edge, next to the blonde, taking her hand. Emma looked at brown eyes and smiled weakly, "Home?"

Regina nodded and as she prepared to step into the swirling portal, she felt it and stood back, pulling the blonde with her.

"Regina?"

"That damned imp!" Regina cursed, "That snivelling, conniving, beastly bastard of an imp!"

"You're scaring me."

"He cursed the portal!" Regina screamed. "Gold cursed the portal. If we step through it, it will kill us."

"Can we do something?" Emma hissed, daring a look at the unconscious Cora. "We don't have much time."

"I can pull it back out but Emma…"

"What?" Emma grabbed the older woman's arm, not liking the frown upon a smooth brow.

"He put it to stop people… bad people coming through."

Emma spun the smaller woman to her, and rested their foreheads together, "You are not bad anymore. You've saved my life a thousand times and you never had to. And when we get home, you don't have to worry because I am going to spend every single day convincing them how good you are, convincing our son how good you are-"

Regina smiled sadly, the memory of their son haunting her mind as she thrust the compass into the blonde's hands, halting her speech with a gentle kiss to her lips.

"Step back, Miss Swan," Regina grinned. "This is going to be quite magical."

She stood close to the lake's edge, her hands open over the swirling portal, her brow tight in concentration and her lips curled in a determined smile. Waves of green spiralled from the portal, into the open hands of the calm mayor, her body shaking from the force of magic, her voice struggling to scream as Emma watched in horror.

Regina flew back, hitting the ground hard as the last of the magic coursed through her. She felt cool hands against her burning hands and gratefully entwined their fingers together.

"What the fuck?"

Regina rolled her eyes as she let herself be pulled back to her feet.

"Are you okay?"

Regina nodded, gasping for another breath before glancing at her unconscious mother and then at the blonde before her, "Time to go home Miss Swan."

"Indeed it is Madame Mayor," Emma grinned, before looking into the wild spirals of the portal and visibly gulped. "The last time I went through one of these, I was kind of dragged in."

"Just push through," Regina advised as she squeezed the hand in hers gently before letting go. "Just push through."

The women approached the edge of the portal, fear and anticipation mingling in the air around them.

Emma turned slightly, catching brown eyes with her own, "I need you to know that whatever happens next that I love you."

Regina sobbed a single cry and smiled weakly, "Then you will forgive me."

"Regina?"

Emma felt the smaller woman push her, and the portal spinning her away from the strange world. She saw brilliant colours swirl into blackness.

Regina watched as the portal disappeared, closing her off from the world she had desperately wanted to be in. She took a deep breath before whispering to the now still lake, "I love you too."

She raised her hands, casting the magic she had just taken back into the water, deeming the power of the lake as treacherous, and the possibility of it ever re-opening a portal no more. She swallowed her tears, pressing her fingers to her lips as she remembered that last kiss, before turning to her mother who lay sleeping on the dust.

She knelt down next to the older woman, caressing her cheek softly, before speaking, feeling nothing, "You won, Mother! It's just you and me now."

Emma opened her eyes and saw nothing but black surround her. She looked up to the sounds of voices and saw blue skies and green leaves. She knew that she was in the well and that it had worked. The portal had brought her back to Storybrooke. She climbed the walls, nerves and confusion turning inside her head. She pulled herself over the low walls, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

"Mom!"

She turned, hoping to see Regina behind her, but instead felt strong little arms wrap around her shoulders, brown hair tickle against her cheek and murmurs of "Mom" against her neck.

She wrapped her arm around her son, realising that she was Mom and she had returned alone. She saw Gold against the tree, the tip of David's sword against his throat, both looking at her with surprise on their faces. Near them stood Ruby, her arms around Mary Margaret holding her back, but letting go as Emma's green eyes fell onto her mother's tearing face.

"Emma?" Snow whispered, tears streaming down her pale cheeks as she stepped closer to her daughter. "Oh Emma!"

Snow wrapped her arms around her daughter and grandson, whispering into her daughter's dirty blonde locks that she would never let her go again. She pulled back, lifting her daughter's pale face, studying the green eyes pooled with tears and heard the slight whimper escape from the young woman's lips.

"She did it!" Henry looked up at David who was no longer holding his sword up. He stepped closer to his family, tears in his own eyes as he pulled the young boy close, hugging him.

Snow tightened her embrace of her daughter hearing nothing but quiet sobs escape the blonde's lips.

"You're home now, Emma," Snow whispered and felt Emma's hands at her shoulder, clawing her close as she broke.

"Alone," Emma whispered as her mother rocked her slightly.

**A/N: And there you have it. The end of Pushing Through. This was always conceived as the first part of a trilogy but can be left alone as it is, I guess. I want to thank all those that followed, there were a lot of you. And thank you to all those that favourited this story. It's always a good feeling when people enjoy your story enough to want to highlight it to be re-read again. And a thank you to all those that dropped a line or two in the reviews... as cliched as it is, reviews really are a great thing to get. Hope you all have enjoyed the ride.**


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